Revolutionary
by tstormch
Summary: Scully narrates: There are a lot of unanswered questions. This just adds it to the list. But my concern is with agent Mulder. Does agent Mulder have enough self-control to come against the bounty hunter should it turn out that way. But I know I can trust agent Mulder in making the right decision. Unless he is under control 'now' of the government.


WRITTEN:

04-22-00

THE REVOLUTIONARY

 **MAY 12** **TH** **12:01 A.M.**

 **5** **TH** **AND RANGE STREET**

 **(Music starts)** _ **(The scene shows an aerial view of a hostage crises in an old warehouse building. Police cruisers, ambulance, and FBI swat teams are encircling the location. The scene spots on one of the swat teams.**_

 _Skinner comes rushing out of the back of one of the vans. He walks over to one of the leaders of the swat teams.)_

SKINNER: What do we have here? What's he demanding?

AGENT: (Looks at Skinner.) He still has over twenty people up on the third floor, locked in a room. As far as we can tell no one has been harmed. But it's only a matter of time.

SKINNER: (Glaring at the agent.) You still haven't answered my question. What is this man demanding?

AGENT: (Reluctant to answer him. Looks at the ground.) One of your agents.

SKINNER: (Stares at him.) Who?

AGENT: (Looks at him.) Actually two of your agents. Mulder and Scully.

SKINNER: Why? For what?

AGENT: (Looks at the ground and back at Skinner.) He is saying that your agents have the answers he's after.

SKINNER: What kind of answers?

AGENT: That's all he said. Frankly I don't know how this man even knows your agents to begin with.

SKINNER: (Heads back to the van he walked out of.) I don't either. (Inside the van Skinner walks up to one of his agents and looks down at him.) Call agent Mulder. (The agent looks up at him and starts to dial the phone.) **(Music stops)**

-2-

X FILES THEME1:01 A.M

(Music starts)(The scene shows a car pull up real fast to the hostage scene and stop. Mulder gets out of the driver's side; Scully gets out of the passenger side. Skinner, standing by one of the officials looks their way and starts to walk over to them. They walk under the caution tape, Mulder hold it up for Scully. Then they both walk over to Skinner.)

MULDER: (Looks at Skinner.) You give nice wake up calls, sir. (Scully, yawning glares at Mulder.)

SKINNER: (Looks at the both of them.) This is hardly a wake up call.

SCULLY: (Looks around at all the emergency vehicles.) What's going on here sir? We're rarely called out at this hour for a hostage crisis.

SKINNER: It's more than just a hostage situation, agent Scully. This man is demanding details from some particular sources.

MULDER: What sources?

SKINNER: You and agent Scully.

SCULLY: What for? What does he want with us?

SKINNER: I don't know. I was hoping you two could tell me.

MULDER: Your guess is as good as mine sir.

-3-

SKINNER: Well, follow me and I get you guys set up to go in.

(Mulder and Scully look at one another and follow Skinner into the van. Inside the van Skinner walks over to his agent that has the phone.) Ring Crew Leader Bandy. Tell I have my agents here.

AGENT 2: Yes sir. (Dials the phone. Skinner looks back at Mulder and Scully. They're staring at him.)

SKINNER: (Grabs a couple of microphones and hand them each one.) Put these under your lapels and give your ammo. (Both Mulder and Scully glare at Skinner.)

MULDER: What?!

SKINNER: I didn't stutter agent Mulder.

MULDER: All your respect sir that's suicide.

SKINNER: Give them to me. (Mulder and Scully reluctantly take their ammo out of their guns and hands him their cartridges. Skinner hands them a both another cartridge.) These cartridges are filled with blanks.

MULDER: (Taking the cartridge.) Oh now I feel comfortable.

SCULLY: (Concerned.) Why blanks, sir?

SKINNER: They want this man alive.

MULDER: (Loading the cartridge.) And they want us dead.

SCULLY: Who want's this man alive?

SKINNER: The NSC.

MULDER: What do they want with a criminal? Is it one of there cousins or something? (Scully glares at Mulder.)

-4-

SKINNER: I don't know and no he's not a family member. (Agent 2 looks over at Skinner.)

AGENT 2: Sir. Your agents have clearance to go any when they're ready.

SKINNER: (Looks back at him.) Okay. (Looks at Mulder and Scully.) The man you'll see is on the third floor. Good luck. (Mulder looks at Scully.)

MULDER: You ready. (Scully looks at Mulder and nods yes.)

SKINNER: We can hear you guys from inside this van. Anything seemingly goes wrong. We'll send in the swat team.

MULDER: (Looks at Skinner.) Boy, if that don't give me any confidence. Nothing will. (Walks on out of the van. Scully follows. Skinner stands there with a concerned expression on his face. Inside the old building, Scully and Mulder have flashlights, looking around. Scully is sticking close to Mulder. They reach a set of stairs and they both look up at them.) Skinner said this man was upstairs on the third floor. (Looks at Scully. She's staring at him.) What? (She looks at the floor.) What's wrong?

SCULLY: (Takes his hand. She looks at him. He looks at her with a concerned expression.) Why does this guy want us? (She makes Mulder bend over to her level. She whispers in his ear.) I got this bad feeling that were being set up. (Mulder looks at her dead in her face.)

MULDER: (Whispers.) You got that same impression too? (Starts to walk up the stairs, letting go of her hand. She follows him up. On the third floor they both walk down a hall way slowly.)

CRIMINAL: (Yells out into the hall way. This person has a mask over their face and has a voice box over their mouth to change the sound of their voice.) Hold it! (Mulder and Scully stop and look toward the sound of the voice.) That's close enough! Are you two Mulder and Scully?

MULDER: Yeah!

-5-

CRIMINAL: Are you the one that believes in UFO's? (Scully looks up at the ceiling with the expression why me?)

MULDER: Yeah. Why? Why did you want us?

CRIMINAL: Because you're the only one that would believe me!

MULDER: (Looks at Scully and back toward the direction of the voice.) Believe you about what?

CRIMINAL: I—I have the information on the case you and your partner have been working and was unable to solve. The case you two were working on over a month ago. (Mulder looks at the floor.)

MULDER: Is this why you holding people hostage? To tell me information about a case I've given up on.

CRIMINAL: That's your problem agent Mulder. Your too willing to give up and give in anymore. You're turning shallow on me, man. You can't do that! The information I have is very vital and life threatening to me to even tell you about it. And to answer your first question. Holding people hostage was the only way I knew I could get you to come out to me.

MULDER: At one in the morning?! (Scully glares at Mulder.)

CRIMINAL: You were always the funny man. That's what I liked about you the most. Regardless of your circumstances you always had to lighten it up.

MULDER: What's this information you so wanted to tell me?

CRIMINAL: Come into this room three doors down from you to your left. And I will tell you. Make your partner stay where she is. (Mulder looks at Scully. She looks at him with a worried expression. Mulder starts to head to the door.) Take off your microphone that's hanging on you. (Mulder stops in his tracks and looks back at Scully. She nods no. Mulder takes it off and throws it on the floor. Scully whispers at him loudly.)

-6-

SCULLY: Mulder, no! (Mulder walks up to the third door and enters into the room. Outside the warehouse, Skinner, with a headset on to listen to what is being said, bangs on the counter in the van.)

SKINNER: (Sighs) NO! (Everyone in the van looks at him. He looks at his agent.) Tell everyone out there to be on stand by. (Inside the warehouse, Scully is still standing there, looking around nervous. Inside the room, Mulder looks around cautiously.)

CRIMINAL: Stop right there. (In the dark room, Mulder notices the person standing in the shadows and low light.) What I'm about to tell you will risk me getting killed. But yet save lives of many. It concerns the ships you can control. I found out your that template in the crafts computer. And what you need to know is. You have the power to control anything and anybody do to that capability. Mr. Spender made a terrible mistake in putting you of all people into that craft. Now anything you want, peace, war, governmental control. Is in your hands whether you know it or not. The craft that you were in has the ability to cause a World War Three. Its capabilities is way past our technology of warfare. If you wanted it too, you could have destroy this whole world and leave you and your partner the only ones alive. (Mulder just stands there staring at the person in the dark.) that's the information I wanted to give you. (Takes out a gun from his pocket.) Now I must kill us both. Because now both of us have too much information. (Mulder stares at him in panic. In sudden reaction, Mulder pulls his gun and points it at him.)

MULDER: (Yells at him.) Put your gun down! (Scully, hearing what's being said looks the direction of the voices. In the room the person approaches Mulder with his gun still pointed at Mulder.) Put it down. I'm warning you! I kill you personally!

CRIMINAL: With blanks? (Mulder glares at him with a questioning expression.) You probably wondered how I knew that! (Suddenly, gunshots are heard, Mulder fires his gun after the shot. Outside the leader, agent 1 talks into the CB radio.)

-7-

AGENT 1: Gun shots were fired. Were going in. (The swat team starts charging into the building. On the third floor, Mulder is standing there in shock, looking at the body on the floor. He looks around to see who shot the criminal. He notices someone standing in the corner.)

MULDER: Scully? (The person steps out into the light. It's Krycek. Mulder looks at him in shock.) Agent Krycek?! (Krycek smiles at him and rushes out of the room. Mulder just stands there, confused. Scully rushes into the room and over to Mulder.)

SCULLY: Mulder, are you okay? (Mulder looks at her and at the body on the floor. Mulder takes his foot and rolls the man over. It's the Senate. The swat team rushes into the room and around the body.)

THREE DAYS LATER

 **4:45 P.M. FBI HEADQUARTERS**

(In Skinners office, Mulder and Scully are sitting in front of Skinners desk. Skinner sits there for ten seconds looking at his desk.)

SKINNER: I don't know how to tell you two this. (Mulder and Scully look at him intently.) But I got no choice. (Looks at Scully.) Agent Scully, I'm going to have to separate you from agent Mulder till further notice. **(Music starts)** (Scully looks at Mulder.)

MULDER: (Looks at Scully and back at Skinner.) Why, sir?

SKINNER: (Looks at Mulder.) And agent Mulder you are to work with me until we find a new partner for you. If they're even going to allow you to have another partner.

MULDER: No. What has Scully done?

SKINNER: It's not what agent Scully has done. It what you have done.

MULDER: What did I do?

-8-

SKINNER: You shot and killed a man that was from the Senate of the NSC. For some reason this man was the man who held all those people hostage three days ago.

MULDER: I didn't kill him. Agent Krycek did.

SKINNER: No one has seen or heard from Agent Krycek in several months. Besides, Lab reports say otherwise.

MULDER: Sir, how could I have killed that man. I had blanks in my gun. You took away my ammo cartridge.

SKINNER: You must have had some live rounds on you to change what I have given you.

SCULLY: Sir, I was with Mulder till he went into that room. Mulder never carries an extra live cartridge with him.

SKINNER: (Looks at Scully.) You were standing in the hall way when agent Mulder went into the room, taking off his microphone. How would you know that he didn't do it while he was in that room.

SCULLY: In front of the killer, sir?

SKINNER: I got my orders. (Looks at his desk.) You'll both be assigned to separate tasks. (Looks at them both.) You're not to see each other. Speak to one another. Nor share information without my consent. Understood? (Mulder looks at the floor, irritated. Skinner looks back and forth at them.) I said is that understood. Mulder stands up and starts to walk out.)

MULDER: (Talks under his breath) Yeah, it's understood. (Walks on out of the office.)

SCULLY: (Stands up.) Who's responsible for this sir?

-9-

SKINNER: (Looks at his desk.) N.S.C. (Scully walks on out of the office, closing the door behind her. Outside his office Mulder and Scully head to the elevator. At the elevator, Mulder presses the button to go down. The doors open to the elevator, they both get in. Mulder presses the button to go to the basement. As the elevator doors close, Mulder leans up against the wall. Scully stands there not knowing what to say to encourage him she just stands there, looking at the floor. The elevator stops and the doors open to the basement. Mulder looks at Scully and let her go out first. They both walk into his office Mulder stops at the door way. Scully, already in his office turns around and looks over at him. He's looking at the floor with the expression like he's going to break.)

SCULLY: Are you alright?

MULDER: (Still looking at the floor.) How am I supposed to feel, Scully?

SCULLY: (Walks over to him.) This isn't like it's the first time they've done this to us, Mulder. (He looks at her. She smiles at him.)

MULDER: What am I supposed to do from here? They've taken away the very thing that kept me going.

SCULLY: And what was that?

MULDER: (Takes her hand.) You.

SCULLY: (Squeezes his hand and brings him close to her as she hugs him.) We have to go on. (Mulder releases his hug and looks at her.)

MULDER: I'm half afraid of what he's going to assign me to do. Especially when I won't be working with you.

SCULLY: (Getting teary eyed.) Mulder, you're not making this easy for me.

MULDER: Oh and it is for me. Scully, I don't know how I'm to go on. You are the one that kept me straight. You've been with me through the best of times and the worst of times.

-10-

SCULLY: I'm with you now aren't I? (Mulder smiles and looks down at the floor.) Just because they said we couldn't see each other. Doesn't mean we can't when we're off.

MULDER: (Looks at her.) You know how they are Scully. The walls have eyes.

SCULLY: (Lets go of his hand.) It never stopped us before. Mulder, Skinner said that the NSC did this.

MULDER: (Walking over to his desk.) NSC? (She nods yes.) Who are they? Skinner said that the guy that was holding those people hostage was from the NSC. (Scully shrugs.)

SCULLY: Well, I better go. (Starts to walk out of the office.) It's been fun while it lasted. (Mulder stands up and walks over to her.)

MULDER: Scully. (She turns to look at him.) You won't forget about me. Will you? (Scully takes her Apollo 13 key chain out of her pocket Mulder had given her. He smiles and gives her a hug. She looks at him in the eyes and gives a kiss on the lips and walks away. Mulder stands there with a surprised expression on his face.) **(Music starts)**

 **A MONTH LATER**

 **FBI HEADQUARTERS 2:15 P.M.**

(The scene shows the lab department. There are people working everywhere, walking back and forth. The scene shows Scully sitting behind a microscope, looking in through the lens. A man walks up behind her. She looks back at him.)

STYLES: Did you find anything agent Scully?

SCULLY: No. These chemicals have been tainted and handled improperly. There's no way were going to gain any evidence on this. Who's doing this case?

STYLES: Agent Barges I think.

-11-

SCULLY: Well your going to have to tell agent Barges (Hands him the slide.) I f he wants his evidence read correctly and accurately. He'll be sure to keep his fingers clear of his own finger prints.

STYLES: (Takes the slide.) Yes ma'am. (Sighing, Scully takes her rubber gloves off and throws them into the trash can next to her.)

SCULLY: (Looks at one of the other analysts.) I'm taking a break if anyone cares. (The lady looks at her like she's crazy as Scully walks out of the lab.)

HIGH STREET AND 31ST

 **3:45 P.M.**

(Music starts) (The scene shows a whole FBI swat team running into a condemned building. Inside the building five of the ten swat team run into a room with guns pointed. There's a little child, eight years of age, crying in the corner. The child sees the swat team and starts to run.)

MULDER: (Has a helmet on his head. He yells at the child.) Wait, stop! (Mulders new partner fires at the child and the kid falls to the floor. Mulder glares at the agent.) You stupid jerk! (Mulder runs over to the child and checks the kids pulse. Mulder yells out.) Call a doctor! (Mulder looks back at the other agents just standing there.) Call a doctor, now! (Skinner comes rushing into the room as Mulder is taking his helmet off.)

SKINNER: What's going on here?

MULDER: (Looks back at Skinner.) Idiot over there shot this kid. (Skinner looks at agent Myles.)

SKINNER: What were you thinking agent Myles?!

MYLES: I—I, the kid was running off. I thought he was hiding something. (The medics come rushing into the room. Mulder stands up and walks over to Myles.)

MULDER: (Shoves a stuffed animal into Myles chest as Mulder walks on out of the room.) Hiding no more than a teddy bear!

-12-

APARTMENT 42

 **9:45 P.M.**

(Music starts) (Scully still in her suit, she shyly walks up to Mulders apartment door. She knocks and waits for three seconds. She knocks again. Still no answer. Scully walks away slowly looking at the floor.)

FBI HEADQUARTERS

9:50 P.M.

(Mulder is sitting in his office. He's resting his head on his hands looking across his office at nothing. He looks over at his door way he sees Scully standing there. He shakes his head and looks again. It's agent Myles.)

MYLES: You still here, agent Mulder?

MULDER: (Looks down at his desk, putting papers away in a file.) No. I left an hour ago.

MYLES: You did?

MULDER: (Glares at him.) What do you want agent Myles?

MYLES: I just came to apologize for this afternoon's mishap.

MULDER: It's not me you going to have to do the apologizing to. It's the boy's parents you're going to have to do the explaining to. (Stands up and walks out of his office passed the agent.) Good night. (The agent just stands there.)

-13-

APARTMENT 42

10:15 P.M.

(Mulder walks up to his apartment door and unlocks the door. He walks in closing the door behind him. He walks over to his phone. The voice recorder on his phone says no new messages. With a discouraged expression. He stands there for a second and picks up the phone and dials. Scullys phone number. Her answering machine picks up. It can be heard over Mulders phone.)

MACHINE: You have reached 555-0190. Please leave your number and message. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. (The machine beeps. Mulder starts to say something and stops. HE hangs up the phone. The scene shows Scully's answering machine phone as it beeps. Scully is just walking into her apartment. She pushes over to her phone, noticing no message was taken. She sighs with a thinking expression on her face.)

FBI HEADQUARTERS

JUNE 15TH 10:30 A.M.

(Mulder walks into his office. As he does, he notices an envelope on his desk. He walks over to his desk and picks it up. Sitting at the edge of his own desk, he looks at the envelope, front and back. There's no name on it. He opens the envelope and starts to pull the letter out. As he does something falls out on to the floor, sounding a little heavy. Mulder stands up looking down on the floor, unable to find what fell. He sets the letter on his desk and kneels down on the floor, looking for it. As he's crawling on the floor, agent Myles walks into Mulders office and stands there, looking at Mulder down on his knees, looking under his desk. Mulder finds what he had dropped and goes to stand up. He notices Myles and looks over at him.)

MULDER: (Glares at him.) Don't you know how to speak? (Stands up and walks behind his desk.)

MYLES: You had me bewildered there for a second. Did you lose something? (Mulder sits down at his desk and looks at what he dropped. It's an Apollo 13 key chain.)

-14-

MULDER: (Looking at the key chain.) No. I dropped something.

MYLES: (Approaches the desk. Looks at what Mulder has in his hand.)  
What is that?

MULDER: (Turns the keychain around. The back of it is embroidered with 'Happy anniversary.') A key chain.

MYLES: Is it evidence?

MULDER: (Picking up the letter and starts to read it.) No! It's a gift.

MYLES: What, is it your birthday?

MULDER: (Trying to read the letter.) No. It's not my birthday. (Mulder reads the Letter. Scully's voice is heard reading it.)

SCULLY: I just dropped this letter to you to say hello and happy anniversary. It's been eight years since I started working with you on the X files. I hope you like my gift. Now we both have one. P.S. I miss you, Scully. (Mulder snickers and smiles. He looks back at the key chain in his hand and smiles again.)

MYLES: (Watching him.) Who's the letter from?

MULDER: (Putting the letter away in his desk drawer.) A friend. (Stands up and puts the key chain in his pocket. Mulder starts to walk out of his office.) I'm going to see A.D. Skinner to find out what our assignment is. I'll be right back. (Myles watches him as he walks out of his office. Myles looks at Mulders desk and back at the door way. Myles quickly walks behind Mulders desk and opens the drawer he put the letter in. Myles opens it and starts to read it. (Music starts) Myles looks back at the door way and puts the letter in his pocket.)

-15-

1 P.M.

(In Skinners office, Skinner stands up from behind his desk and heads for the door. As he does, the back to his office opens and slams shut. Skinner stops, holding the door knob; he looks the direction of the sound.)

SKINNER: Who's there? (Let's go of the door knob. Krycek walks into the light with a panicked look on his face. Skinner stands there glaring at him.) What are you doing here?

KRYCEK: I need your help!

SKINNER: Help? Why should I help you? Last time, if I recall correctly, I helped you and it almost got me and my two best agents killed.

KRYCEK: I know! I'm guilty as charged. But I want to make things right!

SKINNER: (Walks up close to Krycek, staring him in the face. Getting mad.) Yeah right! You're a liar and always have been one!

KRYCEK: (Interrupts) Look, agent Mulders life as well as mine is in danger.

SKINNER: (Skeptical. Walks over to his desk.) Yeah? Why is that?

KRYCEK: (Follows Skinner and stands in front of his desk.) I saved agents Mulder and Scullys life. Mr. Spender, or as you and agent Mulder would call him the cigarette smoking man was going to kill them. (Skinner sits down at his desk.) Look, there's no time! Ask agent Mulder yourself!

SKINNER: (Looks up at him.) Look agent Krycek! It would be best that you get out of my office now.

KRYCEK: Ask agent Mulder now, he'll tell you.

SKINNER: (Getting frustrated.) Agent Mulder is out on a case with agent Myles.

-16-

KRYCEK: Myles? What happened to agent Scully?

SKINNER: (Looking through papers.) That is none of your business, agent Krycek. (Glares up at him.) Now if you would, get out of here!

KRYCEK: (Getting mad.) Who separated them?!

SKINNER: (Getting mad) It's not in my power to say! (Music starts)

KRYCEK: (Points his gun at Skinner and yells at him.) It is now! Was it you?!

SKINNER: (Notices the gun and sits back in his chair.) No. It was the NSC. (Krycek glares down at the floor, putting his gun down.)

KRYCEK: (Looks at Skinner.) Why?

SKINNER: They didn't say.

KRYCEK: (Points the gun at him again.) Now who's the liar?!

SKINNER: They said Mulder killed one of their employees. So they pulled both him and Scully off the X-files and from each other.

KRYCEK: I killed their employee! Not Mulder. You got to get them back together again!

SKINNER: (Stands up) That's out of my jurisdiction.

KRYCEK: (Pulls the trigger. Skinner stands still.) Don't you care that they're lives are at stake! And ours!

SKINNER: (Glares at him.) How?

KRYCEK: Agents Mulder and Scully are the only ones that can stop him.

SKINNER: Stop who?

KRYCEK: Spender!

-17-

SKINNER: There's nothing I can do about it. I didn't set the rules. (Music stops) (Krycek puts his gun down. Skinner walks to the door. Krycek looks over at him.) Look. The NSC is over me yet. I can't change what they say. (Opens the door of his office. He starts to walk out the door and runs into Myles. Skinner glares at him. Krycek watches him.) Agent Myles, what are you doing here?

MYLES: Sir. I need—

KRYCEK: (Walks over to Skinner and looks at Myles, and interrupts.) Are you agent Myles?

MYLES: (Looks at Krycek.) Yeah? Who are you?

SKINNER: (Interrupting.) I don't have time for this. Why aren't you with agent Mulder?

MYLES: I was sir. But he's been shot. (Music starts)

SKINNER: (Shocked.) What?! (Krycek glares at Myles.)

MYLES: I – I tried to stop. We were out on that stake out you sent us out on and we were spotted and shot at.

KRYCEK: Where is he?! (Skinner glares at Krycek and looks back at Myles.)

MYLES: (Looks at Krycek and at Skinner.) He's in my car.

SKINNER: (Yells.) In the car! (The secretary looks at Skinner. Skinner notices. He drags Myles by the arm passed his secretary and out of his office. Krycek follows.) Why didn't you take him to the hospital you idiot!?

MYLES: I couldn't. His blood is black and it looks like worms crawling out of his blood. (Krycek grabs Myles and slams him against the wall.)

KRYCEK: (Yells.) Were did you park!

-18-

MYLES: (Nervous.) The front entrance. (Krycek let him go and rushes to the elevator. Skinner follows and Myles after them.)

(Down in the laboratory, Scully is in an office organizing paper work. Out of frustration she stops shuffling through paper. She looks across the office. She suddenly gets an expression of concern to her face. She looks down at the paper. She hears Mulders voice echoing in the office in a whisper. Asking for help. She stands up and rushes out of the laboratory toward the elevator. Outside the FBI building Krycek runs out of the building to the car Mulder is sitting. Krycek swings the passenger side door open and kneels down to Mulders level. Mulder is holding the area where he was shot and lying back in the seat. Mulder weakly looks over at Krycek.)

KRYCEK: (Moves his arm away from the wound and looks at it. Mulder moves a little away from him.) Hold still. (Black oil is oozing out of the wound. Krycek looks at Mulder.) Just take it easy. (Skinner and Myles run up behind Krycek.)

MULDER: (Weak sounding.) Get Scully, Alex.

KRYCEK: Where is she?

SKINNER: (Forces Krycek out of the way.) Get out the way Krycek. (Krycek glares at him.)

KRYCEK: He needs Scully.

SKINNER: (Looking at Mulder.) What is this stuff coming out of him?

KRYCEK: Where's Scully?

SKINNER: (Looks back at Krycek.) They're no longer partners.

KRYCEK: (Yells.) This man is dying! He needs Scully. She' s the only one that can help him! (While they're arguing back and forth, Myles puts his hand in his pocket where he has the note from Scully to Mulder. With a thinking expression on his face he walks away from them toward a side street.)

SKINNER: We'll call for medics.

MULDER: (Looks at Skinner. Raspy sounding.) I need Scully, sir.

SKINNER: (Looks down at him.) No. I'm getting you a real doctor.

MULDER: They won't under stand this, sir!

SKINNER: Trust me agent Mulder. You'll be better off.

MULDER: Sir, you don't understand! (Skinner goes to turn around. Krycek has his gun pointed at his head.)

KRYCEK: (Yells.) Where's Scully! (Suddenly Skinners face changes to the bounty hunter. Krycek backs away, glaring at him.) You! (Mulder looks over at them and gets a shocked look on his face.) What do you want with me?

BOUNTY HUNTER: Your life. (Takes a stiletto out of his pocket and engages it.) I never did trust you. I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before you were going to turn on the whole project. (The scene shows Mulder slowly moving out of the car as he's talking to Krycek.) Now it's time for you to die! (Mulder stands up behind the bounty hunter. Krycek notices.)

KRYCEK: (Smiles at the bounty hunter.) I'm ready to die if you are. (Bounty hunter looks at him funny. Mulder grabs the stiletto out of his hand and stabs him in the back of the neck. The bounty hunter falls to the ground. Mulder takes the stiletto out of his neck and looks over at Krycek.)

MULDER: (Smiles at him, still a little weak.) Where's the ship? (Krycek stares at him and starts to smile.)(Music stops)

KRYCEK: (Giggling) You, had me going there for a minute.

MULDER: (Looks under his jacket and pulls out a small battery operated pump. Pumping out black oil, Mulder turns it off.) I'd do anything to get that idiot, (Looks at Krycek .) off my back.

-20-

KRYCEK: Is he that bad?

MULDER: (Looks at him with a blank stare.) Ever had your teeth pulled? (He takes the pump off his jacket.)

KRYCEK: Did you get shot? (Throwing the pump into the car and taking out his bullet proof vest.)

MULDER: (Hands it to Krycek.) Does that answer your question? (Krycek looks at the vest and notices a hole near where Mulders heart would be. Mulder looks at him.) Where've you been?

KRYCEK: (Points at the bounty hunter laying on the ground.) Trying to dodge him. Do you know where Scully is?

MULDER: No. I haven't seen Scully in almost a month in half now. I don't know if she quit or what. All I received from her was this. (Shows him the keychain she'd given him.)

KRYCEK: (Looks at the chain and back at Mulder.) Tasteful. Skinner knows where Scully is.

MULDER: I know he knows. But where is he. What we thought was Skinner is now laying on the ground. (Krycek stares at him.)

MARIETTA, MA

10:15 P,M.

(The scene shows a husband and wife walking into their bedroom. The husband sits down in bed and takes his house slippers off. The wife walks over to the bed and sits on the other side of it, setting the alarm clock.)

FRANK: Honey, what time are you setting the alarm clock for? Gets under the covers.)

ALICE: (Looking at the clock.) Five thirty.

-21-

FRANK: I need to get a shower in the morning. (The wife puts the clock back on the night stand and looks over at Frank.)

ALICE: (Gets in bed and cuddles up next to her husband.) Can I join you?

FRANK: Smiles at her.) It would be my pleasure. (He looks beyond her, noticing up at the corner of their bedroom, wall paper border. It's starting to come down n one corner.) (Music starts) Alice?

ALICE: (Laying on his chest.) Yes dear?

FRANK: Didn't we just put up that wall paper border?

ALICE: (Sits up and looks at him.) Frank, what are you talking about?

FRANK: (Points at the border.) Look. (Alice looks over at what he's pointing at.)

ALICE: We did. Just a week ago. (The scene is spotted on the couple from the pealing wall paper border. Alice stands up and gets closer look at the wall paper.) That's strange. (Looks at it for a second.) Hmm? (Looks back at her husband.) I guess we'll have to put some paste on it this weekend.

FRANK: (Get s comfortable in the bed.) Turn out the light and let's get some sleep. (Alice walks over to the light switch and turns the lights out. The scene spots the couple again from the pealing wall paper. Alice gets into bed and covers up. As she does the scene shows the wall paper from the couples bed as little glowing green mites speedily crawl out from behind the falling wall paper. They're making their way to the couples' bed.) (Music stops)

FBI HEADQUARTERS

3:00 P.M. JUNE 16TH

(In Skinners office, Myles is in there sitting I front of Skinners desk.)

SKINNER: (Looks at Myles impatiently.) Where's Agent Mulder?

MYLES: He was in his office when I left. He should be here any minute.

-22-

SKINNER: You said that five minutes ago.

MYLES: I apologize sir for my actions. But I got something I think you should see. (Reaches into his pocket and takes out the note Scully gave Mulder. He hands it to Skinner.) (Music starts)

SKINNER: (Opens the letter and looks at it and starts to read it.) Where did you get this?

MYLES: In agent Mulders office. (Watches him read the letter.) Isn't Scully his partner?

SKINNER: (Reading the letter.) Was.

MYLES: Only reason I should it to you, sir is I had the understanding that he wasn't to talk to her anymore?

SKINNER: (Looks up at Myles.) He's not. I'll talk to him about it. (Mulder walks into the office and notices Myles.)

MULDER: I'll come back. (Starts to walk out of the office.)

SKINNER: No you won't. This includes you as well. (Mulder walks back in and sits beside Myles. He glares over at him and looks back at Skinner. Skinner looks at them both.) Now. The reason you're in here—

MULDER: (Interrupts, being smart.) Because we aren't all there. (Skinner and Myles glare at him.)

SKINNER: (Getting irritable.) I have an assignment that requires FBI intervention. The local police in Marietta, Maryland, just east of here, was called due to two people missing. I guess the family members called saying they haven't heard from their daughter in law or her son for a little over twelve hours. Concerned, the lady went over to their house at nine this morning and she found them in the room, dead.

MYLES: I think the mother in law did it. (Mulder looks over at him with the expression as if to say, 'Go some where will you?')

-23-

MULDER: (Looks at Skinner.) How could this woman miss them in only twelve hours?

SKINNER: Apparently they were to call her from their place of business to confirm a family reunion engagement that was to take place this weekend.

MYLES: Is that our assignment, sir?

MULDER: (Interrupting again.) No. He just told us for as to hear a cute story. (Skinner glares at Mulder. Myles looks at Mulder.)

SKINNER: That's enough agent Mulder. (Looks at Myles.) Yes it is.

MYLES: Are we dismissed?

SKINNER: You are. (Looks at Mulder.) Mulder will meet up with you. (Mulder looks at Skinner with a curious expression.) Do you have a problem agent Mulder?

MULDER: Not now. It just walked out the door. (Skinner glares at him again.)

SKINNER: I want you to explain your self agent Mulder.

MULDER: About what?

SKINNER: (Throws the note in front of him.) This. (Mulder looks at what he threw and looks back at Skinner.)

MULDER: A piece of paper?

SKINNER: I'm losing patience with you agent Mulder.

MULDER: And I'm losing patience with you sir.

SKINNER: (Getting mad.) Enough. (Points at the paper.) Open it. (Mulder takes the paper and opens it and recognizes it.)

-24-

MULDER: How did you get this sir?

SKINNER: That doesn't matter. Your disobeying orders agent Mulder. Between you and me, there was a strict agreement that you and Agent Scully would not even give each other the time of day.

MULDER: (Getting mad.) Are you having people go through my desk now?! (Glares at Skinner.) Look sir! I haven't seen Scully over a month now. And it's starting to get on my last nerve! I'm to the point now that I almost don't want to come into work anymore. Knowing I got to look at (Points at the door where Myles walked out of.) that idiot first thing in the morning and not Scully! I'd rather be shot in the head than to face that Gomer pile first thing in the morning.

SKINNER: (Looks at his papers.) You have your assignment, agent Mulder. I suggest you better get started on it. (Mulder stands up and leaves the office, mad. After he leaves WMM and CSM walk into the back of the office. They both walk toward Skinner. Skinner glares at them and stands up.)

SKINNER: What do you want? I thought you gotten lost!

CSM: (Lighting a cigarette.) One would of thought that. Where's your two prized agents?

SKINNER: (Looks at him funny.) Who?

WMM: Quit playing stupid! Mulder and Scully.

SKINNER: They're no longer partners.

CSM: (Looks at Skinner.) What? The dynamic duo that supposed to be inseparable is separated? How?

SKINNER: The NSC. That's how.

CSM: So that makes them vulnerable.

-25-

SKINNER: Vulnerable but still not inseparable.

CSM: (Looks at Skinners desk and notices the letter from Scully laying there.) Oh, so were giving away secrets are we? Where are they?

SKINNER: That's classified. (CSM picks the letter up; Skinner tries to stop but misses his hand.)

CSM: (Looks at the letter and starts to read.) Apparently they're still in this building. (Looks at Skinner.) It looks to me they're in love with one another.

SKINNER: You're a sick man.

WMM: (Points the gun at Skinner.) No. You are. (Music stops)

5:15 P.M.

(Scully is just walking out of the Laboratory with an exhausted expression on her face. She walks away from the elevator toward the fire exit stairway. She walks in and starts to walk upstairs. As she walks up a flight of stairs an agent rushes into the stairway, running upstairs. Favoring Mulder from behind, Scully starts to rush up the stairs.)

SCULLY: Mulder! (The guy stops and looks behind him down at her. She notices it not Mulder.) Oh, sorry. (The man goes on. Scully sighs. In the basement, Mulder is walking out of his office. He walks over to the stairway door and stops. With a thinking expression, he turns around and walks over to the elevator and pushes the button. Five seconds later the elevator door opens. He walks in and presses the seventh floor button. The elevator starts to go up. On the way up the elevator stops on the third floor. A lady walks in with red hair, resembling Scully.)

MULDER: (Touches the lady's arm.) Scully? (The lady looks over at him like he's crazy. Embarrassed, Mulder looks away from her.) Sorry.

-26-

MARIETTA, MA.

4:30 P.M.

(At the house, there are police cruisers, and ambulances surrounding the house. Mulder and Myles drives up to the scene and get out of the car. Mulder walks up and under the caution tape, Myles follows. Mulder walks up to the porch steps into the house. An inspector approaches Mulder and stops him.)

INSPECTOR: May I help you?

MULDER: (Shows him his badge.) I'm special agent Fox Mulder this here is my partner Dan— (Realizing what he's saying.) agent Myles. We were called in to investigate a death of the couple that lived here.

INSPECTOR: Oh yes. Please follow me. (Mulder and Myles follow him as he walks up the stairs of the house. Upstairs, the inspector walks up to the bedroom door. He stops a the door and looks at the agents.) I hope none of you have a weak stomach.

MULDER: (Looks at him curiously.) Why?

INSPECTOR: These bodies were skinned. (Opens the door and starts to walk in.)

MYLES: (Looks at the inspector as him and Mulder walk in.) Skinned?

INSPECTOR: (Points at the bodies on the bed.) See for yourself. (Mulder walks over to the bed.)

MULDER: (Looking at the bodies. The bodies have an appearance like they have been put through the furnace. Mulder walks by Myles looking at him.) Anyone for pizza? (Myles glares at Mulder as he wanders to the other side of the bed looking for evidence.)

MYLES: You're a sick man, you know that?

-27-

MULDER: Get used to it. Were partners now remember? (Mulder looks under the bed, Myles watches him.)

MYLES: What are you doing?

MULDER: (Still looking under the bed.) Hasn't your mom ever told you about the little monsters under your bed?

MYLES: No, why? Are there really little monsters under our beds? (Mulder stands up and glares at Myles with a disgusted expression. The inspector walks into the room and looks over at Mulder.)

INSPECTOR: Have you found anything yet?

MULDER: (Looks over at the inspector.) No. Why?

INSPECTOR: We need to send these bodies in for an autopsy in D.C.

MULDER: To the Edgar FBI building?

INSPECTOR: (Smiles at him.) Yeah to the main laboratory. We get better results from them then we do people from this town.

MULDER: Well, I'm through here. Go ahead. (Walks out of the room. Myles follows him out.)

MYLES: (Catches up with Mulder as he walks on out of the house to the car.) What are you doing? Were not finished here.

MULDER: (Opening the car door on the drivers' side.) We can't do anything more than what we have a lead on. (Gets in the car. Myles looks up at the sky with the expression of asking, 'Why me?' Myles gets into the car and closes the door. He looks over at Mulder as Mulder starts the car.)

Besides, it's an X-file.

MYLES: An X-file? What's that?

-28-

MULDER: (Drives away from the scene.) Something your brain is made out of. (Myles looks out at the road.)

FBI HEADQUA5TERS

CORONERS LAB 5:30 P.M.

(In the lab, Scully walks over to her supervisor.)

SUPERVISOR: (Looks at Scully.) Agent Scully. I wanted to see you before you left because I need a favor from you.

SCULLY: (Curious) What is it?

SUPERVISOR: There's an investigator form Marietta sending in a couple of bodies that had been somehow made skinless. And they need autopsied and results given as soon as possible. I guess a couple of FBI agents are handling the case. (Scully looks at her with a regretful expression on her face.)

SCULLY: Great, just what we need. More Gomer Piles to make our research complicated.

SUPERVISOR: (Giggles.) So, will you stick around?

SCULLY: What time are due to bring them in?

SUPERVISOR: (Looks at her watch.) In a half hour. When they get here, they'll tell you what they found and what they're looking for. (Starts to leave.) I'll see you tomorrow. (Scully stands there looking at the floor.)

SCULLY: (Shrugs her eyebrows.) All right.

-29-

6:30 P.M.

(Scully is doing her autopsy on the bodies. She has a face mask on and rubber gloves. As she's going over one of the bodies she notices a glowing green spot, on what skin is left on the body. She looks a little closer and takes a pair of tweezers and pulls the skin away. She puts the skin in a chemistry tub jar and seals the jar up with a cap. She takes her gloves off and walks over to the workbench that has microscopes sitting on it. She sits the jar by one of the microscopes. She takes her face mask off. As she does, she hears a door close in the laboratory. Scully looks the direction of the sound. Outside the laboratory; Mulder and Myles are walking down the hall toward the laboratory.)

MYLES: (Following Mulder.) What are we doing here? We're not supposed to be here until tomorrow!

MULDER: (Opening the door.) I want to make sure they don't have no idiot that don't understand paranormal situations try to figure in there own intellect what happened. (Inside the laboratory, Scully is looking toward the sound of doors opening and closing. And the sounds of voices.)

SCULLY: (Yells out.) Hello? Who's there?

MULDER: (Not able to see her yet, walking through the a set of doors.) Don't be alarmed, ma'am. We're a couple of FBI agents checking to see how the autopsy we requested is going.

SCULLY: (Still not seeing him.) Well sir I'm sorry. But the lab is closed until tomorrow morning. (Mulder walks into the laboratory Scully is in and notices her.)

MULDER: (Standing in the dark.) Scully?

SCULLY: (Looks at him in confusion.) I'm sorry, but do I know you? (Mulder steps out into the light. Scullys expression turns from and authoritative expression to a shocked yet happy expression.) Mulder!? Is that actually you? (Rushes over to him. She grabs his arms and looks at him. Her eyes start watering.) Now you're a sight for sore eyes! (Gives him a tight hug.)

-30-

MULDER: (Hugs her in return and rests his chin on top of her head, rubbing her back.) I've missed you.

SCULLY: (Holding him tight.) Mulder, I'm tired of this.

MULDER: (Looking at the floor, still holding her.) Me too.

SCULLY: (Looks at him in the face.) Did you get my gift?

MULDER: (Takes his keys out of his pocket and shows her the keychain she'd given him.) Right here. (Looks at her and smiles. She hugs him again. Myles walks into the lab and notices them hugging.)

MYLES: What is this? A pick up your date lab or something?

SCULLY: (Still holding Mulder. Looks over at Myles, standing behind Mulder.) Who's that?

MULDER: (Releases his hug, but has a hold of her hand. Looking her in the face.) 'That' is agent Myles. (Turns around and glares at him.) And agent Myles is a dead man. (Looks at Scully.) He's my quote unquote new partner.

MYLES: (Glares at Mulder.) What do you mean by quote unquote new partner?

MULDER: Just what I mean home boy! You stealing Scullys letter to bark at Skinner about me! (Scully looks at Mulder.)

SCULLY: He did?

MULDER: (Looks at Scully and back at Myles.) Yeah he did. (Scully glares at Myles.) He also tried killing an innocent little boy in a ware house a week ago too.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder and back at Myles.) Why?

-31-

MULDER: (Looking at Myles smiling, and looks at Scully.) He thought the kid was hiding something and it was nothing but a teddy bear.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder.) A teddy bear? (Mulder nods yes.) Is this child all right?

MULDER: Yeah. He's in the hospital but he'll be all right. (Scully lets go of Mulders hand and walks back over to the microscope. She looks back at Mulder.)

SCULLY: Are you doing this investigation on this couple?

MULDER: (Walks over to Scully.) Yeah.

SCULLY: (Looks up at him.) Mulder, you do know this case is an X-file?

MYLES: (Interrupting, looking over at them.) What is an X-file?

MULDER: (Turns his back on him, looking at Scully.) I got that impression when I saw the bodies like this.

SCULLY: Does Skinner knows it is? (Mulder shrugs to remark he doesn't know.) Remember Mulder your not even supposed to be on the X-files. (She looks down through the lens of the microscope, setting up the slide. Myles walks up behind Mulder to see what they're doing. Mulder looks back at him and walks around the table Scullys behind and stands behind her.) I want you to look at something Mulder. (Goes to look at Mulder and sees Myles standing there. She looks around and looks behind her and sees him. Mulder gets close to her.)

MULDER: (Smiles.) What? (Scully stands aside.)

SCULLY: Look in through that lens and tell me what you see.

MULDER: (Looks in the microscope.) Pizza with mold all over it.

-32-

MYLES: (Watching, turns his back on them.)Oh brother! (Leans against the workbench, Mulder and Scully are standing behind.) There he goes with that pizza remark again. (Mulder looks up at him and sticks his tongue out at him.)

SCULLY: It's far form pizza. (Mulder looks at her.) It's actually a bacterium.

MULDER: A bac—

MYLES: (Turns around to face them and interrupts) A bacteria?! (Scully looks at Myles like he's crazy. Mulder looks at Scully as if to remark, 'help me.') What kind of bacteria would eat away a persons flesh. All I know bacteria to do is to make a person sick. Not eat their skin away.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder as if to remark, 'Where did you find this idiot.') Carnivorous kind of bacteria can. (Myles just stares at Scully.)

MULDER: (Whispers to Scully.) It's going right over his head, Scully.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder at the corner of her eye and back at Myles.) You see agent Myles, a bacterium is a useful substance in life. Like anything else in life it has its good points yet again it has it's bad points. It breaks down unneeded substances, kind of like your stomach acid does to your food after you eat it. Except (Looks at Mulder.) this kind of bacteria eats away at the flesh and it is only dormant in light. And becomes active in the dark.

MYLES: (Curious.) Where would something like this come from?

SCULLY: From man made genetically altered chemistry.

MYLES: You guys are leaving way out on ten buck two. Who would do such a thing?

-33-

MULDER: (Looks at Myles as he puts his arm on top and around Scullys shoulders. She looks at Mulder and smiles and gets close to him.) That's why we call it the X-files. There's no explanation for it.

MYLES: (Notices what Mulder is doing.) Is there something I should know about you two?

MULDER: (Mulder and Scully look at on another and back at Myles.) No. Why?

MYLES: The way you're flirting with her, putting your arm around her. To me it looks like you two are more than partners.

MULDER: (Smiles at him.) What, are you jealous?

MYLES: No. You're just making me edgy. You're both spooky, I should let you know. And for another thing, your not even supposed to be around her according to your boss.

MULDER: We are just merely down here for our case. I didn't even know she was down here. (Looks at Scully.) Now that were back together (Scully looks at him.) I'm making up for lost time.

MYLES: If that's the case, why are you all over her like that?

MULDER: (Glares at Myles as he gets behind Scully, holding her from behind. She looks at Mulder in surprise.) Maybe I'm protecting her from you; did you ever think about that, slick?

MYLES: I never made advances to her. I never had seen her before till tonight. Why are you protecting her from me?

MULDER: I don't trust you. (Puts his arms around Scullys waist as he puts his chin on her shoulder. She rests in Mulders protective hold while staring at Myles.)

MYLES: Did you ever think she might not like you holding her like that? (Scully glares at Myles with an untrusting expression on her face.)

-34-

MULDER: (Still holding her.) Does it look like she's fighting me?

MYLES: (Getting upset.) This isn't work related, agent Mulder. (Walks away toward the exit. Still holding Scully, Mulder looks her in the face.)

MULDER: (Lets go of her. She turns to face him.) Well now that the party poopers left. What is that bacterium really and where did it come from?

SCULLY: Like I said Mulder. It's somehow genetically engineered.

MULDER: For what purpose?

SCULLY: Like they did for the other genetically altered paraphernalia. 'Improvements' or so called.

MULDER: How did it get into this house?

SCULLY: I don't know. Maybe it was tracked in from outside or maybe it was already in the house. (Mulder touches her back in reassurance as he walks away from her. She watches him.) Where are you going?

MULDER: (Walking out of the lab.) Back to Marietta.

SCULLY: (Yells out to him.) Mulder! (Music starts) Why did you do that to me earlier? (Mulder gives her sign language by pointing at his eye crossing his across his chest and pointing at her and smiles, leaving the laboratory. She stands there smiling.) (Music stops)

JUNE 17TH

FBI HEADQUARTERS 11:15 A.M.

(The scene shows Skinners office. He's at his desk, typing at his computer. He gets a beep on his phone. He looks at the phone and presses a button.)

SKINNER: Yeah.

-35-

SECRETARY: (Can be heard over the intercom of his phone.) Agent Myles is asking to speak to you. (Music starts)

SKINNER: Let him in. (Just as Skinner turns his intercom off, Myles walks into the office and closes the door behind him. Myles looks over at Skinner. Skinner looks over at Myles.) Would you have a seat? (Myles walks over to Skinners desk and sits down in front of him. Skinner looks at him.) What can I do for you agent Myles?

MYLES: Sir. I don't want to keep being the tattle tale here. But last night agent Mulder ad I went to the lab. He was concerned that the person there wouldn't know how to do the autopsy right or something.

SKINNER: Well, what's wrong with that?

MYLES: It's who is there that is doing the autopsying. (Skinner stares at him.) Agent Scully, his formal partner. (Skinner glares at his desk.) Sir he did all but put her on the floor.

SKINNER: (Looks at him in confusion.) Excuse me?

MYLES: He was hugging on her, holding her in a seductive manner. He told me he was holding her like that because he was protecting her from me.

SKINNER: (Mad.) Is agent Mulder in his office?

MYLES: He was there when I left. (Skinner picks up the phone and dials Mulders extension. In Mulders office, Mulder is going through some papers, trying to get the organized. His phone beeps, Mulder pushes his intercom button as he's going through the mess of paper work.)

MULDER: Americas unwanted. May I help you?

SKINNER: (Can be heard over the intercom of Mulders phone.) Agent Mulder. I want you in my office as of yesterday, understood? (Mulder glares at his phone.)

MULDER: Yes sir. (Turns his phone intercom off and stands up.)

-36-

(In Skinner office, Myles is now sitting at the conference table. Skinner is still behind his desk. Mulder walks on into the office, looking over at Skinner. He notices the door behind him. As he does, he notices Myles and stops in his tracks.)

MULDER: (Glaring at Myles.) You little peon jerk!

SKINNER: (Still mad.) Sit down agent Mulder! (Mulder walks over to Skinners desk and sits down real hard on to the seat.) I want you to be honest with me agent Mulder. Is there something going on between you and agent Scully? (Mulder looks down at the floor.) You were told agent Mulder by strict orders several times not to even be near her. And then you have the audacity to hold her in a seductive manner. As an FBI agent you should know better. What you did is borderline sexual harassment.

MULDER: All your respect, sir. I don't hear agent Scully complaining on the issue. Other than (Points at Myles behind him.) inspector Gadget over here.

SKINNER: (Looks at his desk.) There's only one thing I can do to keep you away from her. Anytime you need anything from the lab. Have agent Myles go and get it for you. (Looks at Mulder.) You are not to go down there unless I escort you personally is that understood?

MULDER: (Glares at Skinner.) Do I need you to hold my hand when I need to go to the bathroom too?

SKINNER: (Raising his voice.) You didn't answer my question! Is that understood?

MULDER: (Yells at him, standing up.) Yeah it's understood! (Walks out of the office, leaving the door open. Skinner looks at Myles. Myles just stares at him. (Music stops) In the basement, Mulder is just getting off the elevator. He walks over and into his office. He stops at the door way. The scene shows what he's looking at. Krycek is sitting in Mulders office chair behind his desk. Mulder walks on over to his own desk, glaring at Krycek.) Get out of my chair.

-37-

KRYCEK: (Looks up at him.) Have you found Scully yet?

MULDER: Yeah. By accident. (Sits at the edge of his desk.)

KRYCEK: How by accident?

MULDER: She is in the laboratory doing autopsies for other agents. I was concerned who was doing them, knowing how Scully understood to a point the paranormal anatomies on certain things. I wanted to be sure that this person could tell me the truth about the evidence I was after. And there she was.

KRYCEK: Why aren't you two back together yet then?

MULDER: I don't know that we ever will be. Skinner just forbade me to go down to the lab ever again. I have to send Dorkcus Myles to go for me if I need anything. (Looks at the floor.) Alex? Where is this ship that they have so well hidden? (Looks at Krycek.) The one that I can control?

KRYCEK: (Looks at Mulder.) I'm still looking into that. Only way I can find that is through the FBI computer systems. And I don't have any security access to get into it to find out.

MULDER: Wait a minute. I know some people that can help.

KRYCEK: Who?

MULDER: Where's is this place it's possibly at?

KRYCEK: Some where in Nevada. But we need Scully.

MULDER: Why I don't understand?

KRYCEK: Because, without her. You won't be able to concentrate on controlling the ship. That's why the NSC has separated you two. (Mulder, with a mean look on his face, looks across the room nodding yes.)

-38-

MULDER: (Looks at Krycek.) How are we going to get to Scully?

KRYCEK: Leave that to me. (Stands up and pats Mulder on the back.) I'll come up with something. (Walks out of Mulders office. Mulder just sits there.)

TWO WEEKS LATER

JULY 1ST FBI LABORATORY

(Scully is behind a desk, filling out paperwork. The supervisor walks into the doorway of the office she's working in. Scully looks over at her)

SUPERVISOR: Hi. There's someone out here to see you. It's one of the agents working on the Marietta case.

SCULLY: (Thinking it's Mulder, she stands up smiling and starts to walk out of the office.) Okay, thanks. (The supervisor walks away. Scully looks around and notices Myles standing by a workbench. Scully glares over at him. He waves at her to come to him. Reluctantly she walks over to him.) Yeah what is it?

MYLES: Agent Mulder needs the results on the tests you took off of those tissues from those flesh eaten bodies.

SCULLY: (Walks over to a filing cabinet, Myles follows her.) Okay. (Going through the files.) Where's agent Mulder?

MYLES: He's busy.

SCULLY: (Hands him the results. Looks at him.) Busy?

MYLES: You know A.D. Skinner. He keeps you hopping.

SCULLY: Tell him I said hi.

-39-

MYLES: (Takes the paper from her, touching her hand in a loving gesture. She glares at him.) What do you see in him?

SCULLY: A lot more then I see in you. (Walks away from him.)

MYLES: (Grins.) I think she likes me. (Walks out of the laboratory.)

(An hour later, Scully is packing up her work t go home. She organizes her desk a little. As she's putting away some papers in her drawer, (Music starts) Krycek darkness her door way. She looks up at him and jumps.)

SCULLY: Agent Krycek! You startled me. (Music stops)

KRYCEK: (Smiles.) I'm sorry. You look busy. (Scully stands up.)

SCULLY: (Picking up her purse and walking from behind the desk.) No. I was just getting ready to go home. (Stops in front of him.) So. (Looks at him.) What can I do for you?

KRYCEK: (Leans against the doorway.) It's more like this. What can I do for you? (Scully stares at him.) I want to get you and agent Mulder back together again. You guys are a working team.

SCULLY: Tell the NSC that. (Starts to walk out of the laboratory, Krycek follows.) Have you seen Mulder? I haven't seen him in two weeks.

KRYCEK: Yeah. About as long as you have.

SCULLY: (Opening the door and walking out of the laboratory toward the elevator.) That's encouraging. (They reach the elevator. Scully presses the button to get on.)

KRYCEK: Agent Scully. Agent Mulder can't see you know more. (She looks at him in unbelief.) Only do to the fact that he saw you two weeks ago without Skinner holding his hand.

SCULLY: Why are they doing this to us?

-40-

KRYCEK: You guys know too much. Your or I should say we are jeopardizing there plans. Were to close.

SCULLY: To close to what? (The elevator doors opens. They both get in and Scully presses the button to the first floor.)

KRYCEK: The truth.

SCULLY: I've heard that one before. Why are you telling me this?

KRYCEK: (Looks at her) I'm cleaning my slate. I'm correcting what I did wrong. I've become the revolutionary against the NSC.

SCULLY: Why are you suddenly turning the tables?

KRYCEK: (Looks at the floor.) When I found out who my adopted father was. (Scully looks at him.)

SCULLY: I didn't know you were adopted. (Music starts)

KRYCEK: (Nods yes.) C.M. Spender. (Scully stares at him in shock.)

7:02 P.M.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNSEL

(Music starts) (The scene shows CSM, WMM, the secretary of defense from Iowa, two secretaries of state, a Attorney General, Director of Central Intelligence, and a national security advisor who is agent Myles. WMM is standing in front of the counsel, behind a podium with a microphone attached to it.)

WMM: Now ladies and gentlemen. If I may have your attention. You have been called here in reference to what has been brought to everyone's, in this room, attention. Agent Krycek from the FBI located an unidentified aircraft in Denali National Park Canada. This craft was lodged in the ice and taken out by this agent. Few weeks later Mr. Spender wanted to test the aircraft to see if it could be controlled by a human being. So he chose a man by the name of Agent Mulder of the FBI to volunteer and take the craft.

-41-

ATTORNEY GENERAL: (Stands up.) Excuse me. (Everyone looks at him.) Did this agent Mulder have a pilot's license to fly?

WMM: (Glares at the General.) No. (The General sits down.) That was part of the test as well. We wanted to choose a person that had nothing much to lose. Just in case something would go wrong.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: Where's this aircraft now?

WMM: The airforce destroyed the one Agent Krycek had found. But there is however another one.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: Why did they shoo t the first aircraft down? And what happened to the agent that was supposedly flying it?

WMM: (Looks at the podium and over at CSM sitting behind him. Looks back at the director.) There was at the time a glitch that we never dreamed we would run into. So the first craft had to be destroyed.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: Is it true that the FBI agent that was sent in the first aircraft has become a template to all the other unidentified craft that had been found? That this man has the ability to communicate and tell the computer system on the craft what he desires it to do?

WMM: He does.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: Shouldn't this man be put under security surveillance so that he won't be spilling this whole thing to the public?

WMM: We have him separated from his formal partner. His new partner is (Looks back at Myles, Myles stands up.) agent Myles. Agent Myles is our spy pigeon on agent Mulder. He will be keeping agent Mulder from his former partner and keeping him off the X-files.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: What does this agent being away from his formal partner have to do with keeping him under surveillance?

-42-

WMM: A lot. If he were to be reunited to his formal partner. He would be able to find the ship. And all the other unidentified aircraft's would destroy us all by his command. Should that be what he would want to do. (Notices everyone just staring at him.) You see. Agent Mulder at this point in time would not be able to control this aircraft without his partner being with him. He wouldn't be able to concentrate in worrying about his formal partner.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Does this agent know where this other ship is?

WMM: To our knowledge he has no clue. But agent Mulder is like a mouse. He'll end up finding out somehow. Regardless of the cost.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Excuse me for asking. But are these two agents romantically involved or what?

WMM: (Glares at the General.) No. But they are a working team. They work together like a car does with gasoline. You take the gasoline away from the car and it won't run.

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: Will this agent, being away from his partner keep him form spilling this whole project to the public? (CSM stands up and WMM stands aside.)

CSM: Agent Mulder is not threat to us. Agent Myles here will see to that. (Looks at Myles still standing there.) Isn't that right agent Myles? (The scene shows Myles looking at everyone in the room. Suddenly his face changes to Mulders face. Everyone looks in fear at Myles.) You see ladies and gentlemen. Agent Mulder is going to be no longer a threat.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: So what is this supposed to do or prove?

CSM: There is a meeting being held in twenty four hours, concerning agent Mulder and Scullys future on the X-files. And agent Mulder is going to be asked to renounce everything he's ever seen and heard of concerning the X-files and he will be able to keep his job and stay on with his partner. Being that we already know what the real agent Mulders answer will be. We took the liberty to send agent Myles in his place looking like agent Mulder.

-43-

DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.: So where is the real agent Mulder going to be?

CSM: We'll find a way to keep him busy. (The scene shows a corner in the counsel boardroom, stashed up in the corner of the ceiling is a hidden camera spotted on the counsel. The scene show who's spying on them. Krycek is in a room looking at a computer screen at the counsel members. He's able to hear every word they are saying. He glares at the screen.)(Music stops)

APARTMENT 42

10:35 P.M.

(Music starts) (Mulder is laying on his couch dosing off. There's a knock at his door and he opens his eyes, lazily, looking toward the door. There's a knock again at his door. Mulder sits up and rubs his eyes as the knock continues. Mulder stands up and slowly walks to the door. Mulder peeks through the peek hole of his door and sees no one. He takes the chain lock off his door and opens it. Krycek comes rushing in, almost knocking Mulder over.)

MULDER: (Looking out in the hall.) Please come right in. (Closes the door and turns around to look at Krycek.) What's going on?

KRYCEK: I need to get you out of here.

MULDER: (Slowly walks back over to his sofa.) Why?

KRYCEK: (Follows him.) They're planning a scam against you.

MULDER: (Sits down on the sofa. Krycek sits down near him.) Who is ?

KRYCEK: Smoking man. Secretary of Defense, (Looks at Mulder.) agent Myles. (Mulder looks at him.)

MULDER: Did you come in here to give me nightmares or something?

KRYCEK: I'm being serious here.

-44-

MULDER: (Rests against the arm rest of the sofa.) So am I. If this is so life threatening as you make it sound. Where's Scully?

KRYCEK: Because they're not after her. They're after you. They realize the mistake they made in making you their guinea pig in that craft. Now they want to wreck your life so you will deny the X- files and leave everything alone.

MULDER: I'm confused.

KRYCEK: They want you to throw in the towel, deny the X-files and say I'll leave things well enough alone. And go on about your business.

MULDER: (Glares at him.) Look, Alex. I have lost everything I cared most for. Only reason I was on the X-files was due to my sister missing. And she's dead. My mother killed herself do to the fact she couldn't bare telling me the truth of what had happened and what was done to my sister!

KRYCEK: (Looks at the floor and back at Mulder.) Don't you want vengeance? (Mulder looks at the floor.) That ship that 'you' saw and controlled is in your power to do with what ever you want to do.

MULDER: Is that why you're here? (Looks at Krycek.) Because you're afraid that if I do decide to come against you all. You would be one of them? (Krycek looks away from him.) Look. I got this meeting tomorrow I got to go to with A.D. Skinner. So if we're done with this chit chat. I would like to get some sleep.

KRYCEK: Can I tell you my plan before I leave? (Mulder looks at the floor in disgust and nods yes.) This is what I plan to do. But you have to be there at the right time and place for this to work. (The scene shows him talking to Mulder as it pans away from them.)

MULDER: What about Scully?

KRYCEK: You can't tell her. She must really think it's truly you for us to pull this off. Now as I said. (His voice fades away as the music gets louder.) (Music stops)

-45-

JULY 2ND 2:45 P.M.

FBI HEADQUARTERS

(Mulder is in his office, filing some paper work into folders. Scully walks into the door way of his office to surprise him.)

SCULLY: (Leans against the doorway.) Hey stranger. (Mulder stands up, grabbing his paper work. He looks her way.)

MULDER: Hey. (Walks passed her, out of his office toward the elevator.)

SCULLY: (Looks at him.) Mulder! (He stops and looks back at her.) No hugs, no hello's just—hey?

MULDER: I'm sorry. I'm late for the meeting. Are you coming? (Walks on to the elevator, Scully follows.)

(In Skinners office, around his conference table, are the Attorney General and the Director of the Central Intelligence. Mulder and Scully walk into Skinners office. Scully walks on over to the conference table. And sits down. Mulder walks to the other side of the conference table. Scully notices and looks at him funny. Skinner walks over to the head of the table.)

SKINNER: If I could have all of your attention. There's a statement on e of my agents need to make in the renouncing to some cases that had been in controversy for almost over seven years. (Scully looks at Skinner in a confused expression.) I call upon the Director of the C.I. to come forward to bring this matter before him and stated. (Looks at the Director of the C.I.) Director Lansing, if you would. (The director stands up and faces everyone as Skinner sits down.)

DIRECTOR: (Looks Mulders way.) Agent Mulder. If you would stand please. (Mulder stands up, Scully watches intently on what's going on.) Now agent Mulder, you and I both know that your future with the FBI is at stake here. And you also realize that what you have seen was and is top secret.

-46-

MULDER: Yes sir.

DIRECTOR: Agent Mulder. If you wish to keep your position with the FBI and remain partners with agent Scully. Then I will require of you to deny in everyone's hearing that you have ever done the X-files. And that what you have seen was just a figment of your vain imagination. (Scully gets an agitated expression on her face at what she is hearing.) And once you do make your confession. That you will never speak or discuss with anyone what you used to do in the past concerning your work on the X-files. Other wise if you do. It will be means of immediate dismissal from the bureau. Is that agreed?

MULDER: Yes sir I agree. (Scully watches him intently.) (Music starts) (Mulder looks at everyone in the room.) I renounce everything I have ever done in the X-files. And from this day forward I will work cases that are truly FBI related. And not paranormal related. I declare this day that the X-files are banned from my professional responsibility of investigations. (Mulder sits back down. Scully is looking at him with an expression of unbelief and confusion.)

10 MINUTES LATER

(Mulder walks out of Skinners office toward the elevator. Scully rushes out of Skinners office toward Mulder.)

SCULLY: (Catches up with him.) Mulder! (Walking with him.) What was that all about? (Mulder pushes the button to the elevator.)

MULDER: (Looks at her.) For once Scully in my life. I woke up and smelled the roses.

SCULLY: (The elevator doors open. They walk in.) Mulder, I think when you smelled the roses it made you high. Why are you giving up like this?

-47-

MULDER: I'm not giving up Scully. I did it for our futures. (Looks at her in the face and gets real close to her.) I did it for us. (They look at one another for a second. He starts to kiss her on the lips and permanencies to kiss her intimately. The elevator doors open and he pulls away from her and walks out of the elevator. Scully stands there with a confused expression on her face.)

(Scully walks on out of the elevator, to follow Mulder. Groups of people start walking into the main entrance as she tries to catch up to him. He disappears in the midst of the crowd. Scully walks outside, looking around for him. Myles walks up to her form the lower part of the stairway leading into the building.)

SCULLY: Agent Myles. (He looks at her.)

MYLES: Hi agent Scully.

SCULLY: Did you see agent Mulder walks out her?

MYLES: I thought you weren't supposed to be with him anymore/

SCULLY: (Getting upset.) We'd just gotten out of a meeting.

MYLES: He's probably in his office. (Walks away from her, smiling. She glares at him and sighs.)

5 HOURS LATER

APARTMENT 42

(The scene shows Scully driving up to Mulders apartment building. She gets out of the car and starts walking toward the building. All of the sudden, people start running out of the building, screaming fire, fire. The third floor, Mulders is at is on fire. Scully looks up at it with a panicked expression. Suddenly the fire fighters drive in with sirens blasting. They stop in front of the building and start rushing out of their trucks. Scully watches in a concerned expression.)

-48-

AN HOUR LATER

(The fire fighters go the fire stopped. Scully approaches the chief fire fighter.)

SCULLY: (Shows him her badge.) Excuse me. Was there anyone found in that fire? There was a man in there in apartment 42.

CHIEF: No. Thank God. If he was in there he was able to escape with the rest of them. Even thought the fire was started from apartment forty two.

SCULLY: Were you able to tell how? (Music stops)

CHIEF: (Looks at the building.) Not this early, no. (Notices her concerned expression.) Look, he's probably out here standing with everyone else. Just go look for him.

SCULLY: (Looks at the building and looks at the chief.) Thanks. (She starts to walk away from when one of the fire men comes running out of the building.)(Music starts)

MAN 1: A body was found on the third floor in one of the rooms. (Scully stops and turns around and looks over at the fire man. The chief walks over to the man and they walk into the building. Scully stands there and watches. The scene shows behind Scully as Skinner drives up on the scene. He gets out of the car and walks up behind Scully.)

SKINNER: (Looks at her.) Agent Scully. (She turns around and looks at him and starts crying. She hugs Skinner while crying on his shoulder. He puts his arms around her. He looks at the building with an upset expression to his face.) Tell me its not as bad is at looks. (Suddenly the whole top portion of the building explodes. Skinner and Scully fall to the ground from the blast as huge sections of the building fall to pieces to the ground, hitting fire engines and people around the area. Everyone is screaming in panic. Skinner looks up at the building as fragments and dust is coming down from the blast. He looks over at Scully, she has a cut on the top of her head with blood draining down from it. Scully touches the top of her head and looks at her hand, noticing the blood. Skinner looks at one of the fire men.) We need a medic over here.

-49-

(The fire man notices Scully and rushes over to the medic team. The medic team rush over to Scully.)

SCULLY: (Looks at Skinner, half delirious.) I'm fine, sir. (Tries to stand up. Skinner notices.)

SKINNER: No, no. You stay put. (The medics put an ice pack on her head and some gauze wipes to clean the blood off her head. Scully looks the direction of the apartment building, noticing the whole top portion caved in.)

SCULLY: (Screams out.) Mulder! Nooo! (The scene shows an Ariel view of the incident.) (Music stops)

JULY 9 4:45 P.M.

TWO WEEKS LATER

(The scene reveals a hotel room, there's a TV set on with the news reporting on the explosion of Mulders apartment. Krycek is sitting over on the edge of a bed looking at some one but the scene is spotted on Krycek.)

KRYCEK: What are you so worried about? It's going to work out. (The person doesn't answer him. Krycek looks at the floor and back at the person.) You still don't trust me do you?

MULDER: (The scene reveals him as he glares at Krycek.) You said you were going to catch the place on fire. Not blow it up!

KRYCEK: I didn't plan that! Someone else had to concoct that!

MULDER: (Looks away from him.) Right. (Stands up and turns his back on Krycek.) I heard that one before. (Turns around and looks at him.) Look. Why don't you kill me now! (Krycek looks at him funny.) It's what you always wanted to do! (Takes his gun off the night stand and hands it to Krycek.) Here, I'll help you. Use my gun. Here, do it! (Krycek stares at him.)

KRYCEK: I s that what you think I plan do to you?

-50-

MULDER: (Looks at the floor and back at him.) Well, yeah. That was always your intention wasn't it?

KRYCEK: No. You were my formal partner and always will be.

MULDER: What about Tungska, Russia. You lied to me there and tried to kill me!

KRYCEK: I only took you there to show you and let you experience for yourself the agony they put people through. To let you see for yourself.

MULDER: Well you could have at least told me.

KRYCEK: You wouldn't have believed me if I did. (Mulder shrugs his eyebrows as he looks away from him.)

MULDER: (Looking at the floor.) What do we do from here?

KRYCEK: Get Scully and get to the ship. (Mulder looks at him.)

QUANTICO VIRGINIA

9:45 P.M.

(Music starts) (The scene shows outside Margaret Scullys home. Inside the home, Scully is sitting on the couch, crying. Her mom walks out of the kitchen with coffee for her and her daughter. She sits s down beside her and hands her the coffee cup. Scully sits it down and looks at her mom.)

SCULLY: (Crying a little.) I can't go on, mom.

MARGARET: Sure you can honey. You must pick up were he left off.

SCULLY: Mom, I can't do that! Everything I see in there I'll see him. Mom, (Looks at her.) I loved him! (Cries on her shoulder. Her mom hugs her.) (Music stops)

-51-

JULY 10TH

FBI HEADQUARTERS 10:15 A.M.

(The scene shows Scully parking her car in the parking garage attached to the FBI building. She parks the car and gets out and heads to the elevator. As she's walking she hears noises like someone is following her. She stops walking and looks the direction of the sound. (Music starts) She sees nothing and starts walking again. She hears the sound again and looks, again to see nothing.)

SCULLY: (Looking around.) Who's there? (No answer. Suddenly a man in a ski mask grabs her from behind and covers her mouth. She tries to scream.)

MAN: Shhh. (Points a gun at her head.) You make a sound and its goodbye. Understood? (Scully nods yes.) Good. (Makes her walk toward her car.) Now lets go. (They reach her car as he still has a hold of her.) Now get in. (Scully gets her keys and unlocks the door.) Get in and put the keys on the dash. (Scully does as she's told as the man walks around the car and gets in on the passenger side. Once he's in he points the gun at her.) Let's get moving. (Scully closes her door and starts the car.) Now drive. (She puts the car in gear and drives on out of the parking garage.)

HALF HOUR LATER

(Scully is still driving down a interstate with the man having the gun still pointed at her.)

MAN: Get off this next coming exit ramp. (They reach the exit ramp and Scully turns on to it.) Turn right up here at this light. (They reach the top of the exit ramp and she turns right.) You're going to turn into Hyiatts Inn Hotel. It's on your right hand side. (They reach the hotel entrance and she pulls into the hotel parking lot.) Park the car near room one fourteen. (Scully does as she's told.) Turn off the car and give me your keys. (She hands him the keys.) Now get out. (Scully opens the door and gets out of the car. So does the man.) Now I want you to slowly walks to the door of room one fourteen and stop. (She slowly walks over to the door. The man walks up beside her and unlocks the room and opens the door.) Inside.

-52-

(Scully reluctantly walks into the hotel room. The man follows her in.) Sit down at the edge of that bed over there. (Scully walks over to the bed he pointed at and sits down, scared. The man takes off his face mask off with his back turned to her. The scene shows him putting his gun down on the bathroom sink. As the man turns around the scene reveals who it is.) Surprise!

SCULLY: (Glares at him.) Krycek! (Stands up.) You little worm!

KRYCEK: What did I do? Scare you?

SCULLY: You about gave me a heart attack!

KRYCEK: Sorry.

SCULLY: Why are you playing this game? I need to be at work.

KRYCEK: Alone?

SCULLY: (Looks at the floor.) I don't want to talk about it?

KRYCEK: About what?

SCULLY: (Looks at him.) You haven't heard? (He nods no.) Mulder got kil—(Starts to cry, turning her back on him. As she does she notices who's standing on the other side of the room.) Mulder?! (Mulder smiles at her.) Is that really you?!

.

MULDER: (Approaches her.) Alive and in person. (Scully grabs him and hugs him. He looks at Krycek.) Boy. I ought to die more often.

SCULLY: (Looks at him.) I thought you gotten killed. How did you escape?

MULDER: (Looks at her.) Maybe because I wasn't ten feet of the building.

SCULLY: (Hugs him again.) I was so scared. (Mulder rubs her back for reassurance.)

-53-

MULDER: I'm okay Scully. I'm okay. (Looks at her.) Now. (She smiles.)

SCULLY: Wait a minute. (Backs away from him a little. He lets go of her.) Why did you give up the X- files? What happened?

MULDER: (Looks at her strange.) I didn't do no such thing. Scully, you know me better than that.

SCULLY: No. You said in Skinners office at the meeting two weeks ago that you renounced the X-files.

MULDER: (Looks at her directly in the face.) Scully, I didn't go to the meeting. (She looks at him like he's out of his mind.)

KRYCEK: (Walks over to them.) That would be Myles. He some how able to transfer is facial appearance to yours. (Mulder and Scully both look at him.

SCULLY: You mean to tell me that instead of (Takes Mulders hand, sticking close to him.) Mulder I was actually kissing Myl— (Mulder looks at her. She notices.) Never mind.

MULDER: (Smiles at her.) Oh you would go and kiss some that looks like me. But you wouldn't to actual me. (Scully glares at him. He changes the subject.) Did you recognize anyone there? Like the smoking man?

SCULLY: No. He wasn't there. These were men I didn't recognize

MULDER: (Looks at Scully.) You said I renounced the X-files?

SCULLY: They told you too.

MULDER: Whose they?

SCULLY: There were three other men other than Skinner.

SCULLY: (Looks over at Krycek.) Why did you bring me over here?

-54-

KRYCEK: (Approaches them.) To get you two back together. And there's business we need to tend to.

SCULLY: What kind of business? (Krycek smiles.)

KRYCEK: The business is to stop the smoking man.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder and back at Krycek.) Why? What's up your sleeve?

KRYCEK: (Nods his head smiling.) You guys just are so paranoid of me as all get out.

SCULLY: (Clutches Mulders arm, getting as close as she can, still holding his hand. Mulder looks at her and back at Krycek.) You don't hold a very good history in our books. You try killing Mulder and me several times. (Krycek notices her staying close to him.)

KRYCEK: I'm sorry.

SCULLY: (Looks at Mulder, getting him to bend down to her level. She whispers to him) I'm scared Mulder.

MULDER: (Puts his arm around her.) He brought us back together, Scully.

KRYCEK: If you two still don't trust me. How about if hire a limo and we all go to the beach before we leave for Nevada. (Mulder and Scully look at him.) I got a beach condo at Virginia Beach. We could go there and hang out a little. And leave tomorrow.

SCULLY: (Glares at Krycek and looks at Mulder.) Nevada?!

MULDER: (Removes his arm and walks over to the small kitchen.) Yeah. That's where the ship is. (Opens the refrigerator and takes out a can of pop and opens it.) And Alex? (Krycek looks over at him.) Were on for that beach trip. (Krycek smiles as he walks over to the phone. Scully glares at Mulder and walks over to him.)

-55-

SCULLY: Mulder! (He looks at her.)

MULDER: (Sips out of the can of pop.) What?

SCULLY: Your actually trusting him?

MULDER: Let's give him a chance, Scully. (Scully looks away from him in disgust.)

VIRGINIA, BEACH

2 P.M.

(The scene shows the beach. There is a limited amount of people walking along the beach. The scene then reverts over to a large condo that Krycek owns. Inside the condo, Mulder and Scully look around at their surroundings.)

MULDER: Boy. How were you able to get a hold of this place, Alex.

KRYCEK: (Walks into the dining room.) I got my contacts.

SCULLY: (Walking toward the sunken in living room that has two sliding doors on it looking out at the ocean. She talks to herself.) I bet you do.

KRYCEK: (Walks out of the dining room, toward the stairs.) Make yourselves at home. I'm going up stairs to change. (Runs upstairs. Mulder walks into the living room and sits down on the couch. He puts his feet up on the table and rests back on the sofa. Scully turns around and notices Mulder all stretched out.)

SCULLY: (Walks over to him and sits down beside him.) Mulder. When he said to make yourself at home. I don't think he meant like that.

MULDER: (Puts his feet down. And sits up.) Beautiful place isn't it?

SCULLY: (Looks around the room.) Yeah. For a crook.

MULDER: (Looks at Scully.) You still don't trust him?

-56-

SCULLY: (Looks at him.) Honestly? (Mulder nods yes.) No I don't. I'm shocked that you do.

MULDER: He said he wanted to make things right.

SCULLY: Yeah like music does for a dead person. (Krycek walks down the stairs, holding rolled up maps and paper work and looks around for Mulder and Scully. He notices them in the living room and walks toward them. Mulder and Scully look over at him. Krycek sits down in a love seat across from them, sitting all the paper work and maps on the coffee table.)

MULDER: (Watching him.) What is all this?

KRYCEK: (Looks at Mulder.) Paper work and maps of and about the base.

SCULLY: (Stands up and heads for the sliding doors.) I'm going to get some fresh ocean air. (Mulder watches her as she opens the doors and walks outside. Closing the doors behind her. Krycek looks out at Scully and back at Mulder as he's gazing at her.)

KRYCEK: She's a great woman, isn't she?

MULDER: (Looks at him like he's drugged.) What?

KRYCEK: (Giggles.) Are you okay?

MULDER: (Snaps out of his day dreaming.) Yeah why?

KRYCEK: You love her don't you? (Mulder looks back out at her. The scene shows Scully as she's sitting down on lawn chair looking out at the ocean.)

MULDER: (Under his breath.) You have no idea.

KRYCEK: (Not able to hear him.) What?

MULDER: (Looks at Krycek and shakes his head.) Oh, nothing.

-57-

KRYCEK: (Smiles.) Yeah, right.

MULDER: (Embarrassed.) What?!

KRYCEK: Before I get into business here. Can I make a suggestion to you?

MULDER: And what would that be?

KRYCEK: Why don't you two take an evening walk this evening?

MULDER: (Looks at him he's crazy.) Why?

KRYCEK: When was the last time you two ever actually sat down and talked? (Mulder starts to answer. Krycek interrupts.) And it wasn't about X-files or your jobs. It would be on a personal basis.

MULDER: (Looks at the floor and back at Krycek.) I don't know. I don't think we ever actually just sat down and talked. Why? What's this got to do with what's sitting on the table?

KRYCEK: Nothing. I'm just reading between lines right now. Look. Have you two ever been alone together to take a walk or anything? (Mulder nods no.) Tonight you are.

MULDER: Really. By who's authority?

KRYCEK: No one's.

MULDER: What are you? A matchmaker now?

KRYCEK: No. But being that you're by the ocean. I just thought you two would like to be alone for a little bit this evening.

MULDER: (Looks back out at Scully.) She wouldn't go.

KRYCEK: Look man, she's scared of me. I think at this point she would follow you to the bathroom if it came down to it. (Mulder looks at Krycek and shrugs his eyebrows and giggles.)

-58-

7:45 P.M.

(Music starts) (Mulder, Krycek, and Scully are sitting outside the condo on the lawn chairs. Looking at the ocean.)

KRYCEK: (Stands up.) Well. I need to get our stuff ready for tomorrow. (Mulder looks up at him.) I'll let you guys be. (Starts to walk back inside.)

MULDER: Need any help?

KRYCEK: (Looks back at him.) No. I can handle it. (Winks at him and closes the sliding doors. Mulder sighs and looks down at the ground.)

SCULLY: (Looks over at Mulder.) Mulder.

MULDER: (Looks at her.) Yeah?

SCULLY: I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight.

MULDER: Why?

SCULLY: I told you earlier. I don't trust him.

MULDER: (Smiles and looks down at the ground.) Scully.

SCULLY: I'm serious. Why would he bring us all the way out here to the East Coast? When supposedly this ship is near the other side of the border!

MULDER: (Shrugs and looks at her.) I don't know. Maybe fate brought us out here.

SCULLY: (Glares at him.) Fate?! For what? Our demise?

MULDER: (Loudly) Scully! (Scully looks at him. Mulder looks at the ground. Scully looks out at the ocean. Mulder looks at her in wanting to ask to walk with him.) Scully? (She looks at him.) Want to go for a walk?

-59-

SCULLY: (Stands up and stretches.) Sure. Why not? (Mulder stands up. Scully starts walking toward the ocean. Mulder walks up beside her as they both walk down the beach together. They walk for five seconds not saying anything to one another. Slightly shy, Scully looks at the ocean and over at Mulder and in front of her and back at the ocean.) My mother used to take me to the ocean when I was eight years old. I thought the whole world was a beach. It seemed so big. (They stop walking as she looks out across the ocean.) I used to day dream about being a pirate and sailing on the mighty oceans. I think I'd been to every country across the seas every time I'd come to the beach and dream. (Mulder looks at her and smiles.) Then I would make (Looks at the sand.) sand castles in the sand and dare the waves, which were (Giggles.) my dragons, to attack my castle. (Scully looks at Mulder as he's smiling at her. Embarrassed she looks away and at the sand.) I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry.

MULDER: No don't be. I think it's sweet. (Notices a couple holding hands and kissing.)

SCULLY: (Looks at him.) Did you ever play at the beach when you were a kid?

MULDER: (They start walking again.) Yeah. (Looks at her.) When mom and dad went on vacation. We went to Cancun Mexico. And while we were there we went to the beach.

SCULLY: Did you make sand aliens and UFO's?

MULDER: (Smiles.) No. I didn't have a chance to do anything at all. On our first day being there. I was playing in the sand and got stung by a dead jelly fish. (Scully giggles.)

SCULLY: A dead jelly fish, Mulder?

MULDER: (Looks at her and looks down at the sand.) That wrecked my parents' whole vacation. I had to spend the rest of the vacation in the hospital.

-60-

SCULLY: (Stops again and looks at the ocean.) I think oceans are beautiful. Hearing the breakers splash against the sand. It's like a song. (Mulder looks at her and out at the ocean.)

MULDER: (Takes her hand. She looks at him and back out at the ocean.) Yeah it is. (The scene shows them from a distance as they're looking out at the ocean. The tide starts to come and attacks they're feet.) Look out! (Scully screams trying to get away from it and laughs as Mulder still has a hold of her hand. They walk on down the beach, holding hands.) (Music stops)

JULY 3RD

10:15 A.M.

(The scene shows outside Kryceks condo. Mulder is on the couch. He sits up rubbing his eyes and looks around the living room. He notices Scully covered up, asleep on the love seat. Krycek walks into the room, looking at Mulder.)

KRYCEK: Instead of staring at her you better get her up. (Mulder looks at him.) Our flight leaves at noon. (Krycek leaves the room as Mulder looks back over at Scully.)

MULDER: Scully. (She moves a little, but is still asleep.) Scully! (She doesn't respond. Mulder sighs and stands up stretching, looking at her.) Are you getting up or are you going to sleep all day.

SCULLY: (Talking in her sleep.) Let the cat in. (Moves a little and becomes still. Mulder looks at her like she's crazy.)

MULDER: You don't have a cat.

SCULLY: (Talking in her sleep.) I do now.

MULDER: (Nods yes.) I see. (Glares down at her and approaches her. He stands over her a second and grabs her blanket. He takes it off of her and throws it on to the sofa.) Time to get up Scully.

-61-

SCULLY: (Still asleep.) No it isn't.

MULDER: (Sighs in aggravation.) Scully. (Yells.) Get up! The cat is in!

SCULLY: (Half asleep. Looks up at him.) Mulder. Shut up.

MULDER: Our flight leaves at noon, Scully. (Walks over to the kitchen.)

SCULLY: (Slowly sit up.) What time is it?

MULDER: (Looks at his watch. And pours a cup of coffee.) Ten thirty.

SCULLY: Mulder. (Stretches.) What is this about your cat? I didn't know you had one.

MULDER: (Looks over at her.) I don't. But you said you did.

SCULLY: (Glares over at him.) What? When did I say this?

MULDER: (Walks over to her with the cup of coffee.) Just a few minutes ago. (Hands her the cup.) Here.

SCULLY: (Takes the cup.) Thank you. (Krycek walks into the living room and notices them.)

KRYCEK: Slow morning? (Mulder turns around to look at him, Scully sips her cup of coffee.)

MULDER: Sort of. We had to find Scullys cat.

KRYCEK: A cat? Why did she bring her cat with her?

SCULLY: (Hits Mulder on the leg and looks at Krycek.) I don't have a cat. Mulder claims I said to him that I had a cat.

KRYCEK: Okay? So are you guys ready? (Scully glares at him due to the fact she just got up.)

-62-

WASHINGTON D.C.

FBI HEADQUARTERS 11 A.M.

(In Skinners office, Mulder is just walking in. Skinner looks over at him.)

SKINNER: (Mulder approaches his desk. Skinner looks up at him.) I'm glad to see you're not all blown to pieces. How did you escape?

MULDER: (Sits down in front of his desk.) So am I. And I was out of town at the time. Have you seen Scully?

SKINNER: That's why I called you in here. She was abducted in the parking garage. We had three witnesses that saw her being taken away.

MULDER: (Looks at him in concern.) By who?

SKINNER: Who ever they were they had a face mask on. And being that you've agreed on the renouncing to the X-files. I'm giving you permission to make this your case in finding agent Scully, alive.

MULDER: Yes sir. (Music starts) (Stands up. And walks out of the office. In the basement, Mulder is just getting off the elevator. He walks toward his office and into the doorway and stops. The scene shows what he's looking at. WMM and the bounty hunter are sitting on the edge of his desk and on his chair. Mulder looks behind him in the hallway and walks into the office closing the door.) What are you two doing here! I told you I would meet you at the park!

WMM: We know what you told us. But we have a problem. (Mulder looks at him.) Agent Scully is missing.

MULDER: I know. A.D. Skinner just put me on the case.

WMM: Oh really. That's a good thing. Now you can put a stop from the risk of us being exposed.

MULDER: How do you risk getting exposed by her missing.

-63-

WMM: Need I remind you of your part, agent Myles! (Stands up and walks up to him.) If agent Mulder kidnapped Scully and gets to the ship. Were through! And I'll see to it that he (Points at the bounty hunter.) hunts you down! Is that understood?

MYLES: (Still has Mulders face.) Yeah. (WMM and the bounty hunter walk out of the office. Myles just stands there.) (Music stops)

NEVADA

GROUND ZERO 10:30 P.M.

(Music starts) (The scene shows an air base. With spot lights going across the field. There's a barbed wire-electrified fence all around the base. A car comes driving up to one of the guarded gates and stops as the guard walks toward the car.)

GUARD: Can I see some identification please? (Krycek puts the power window down and gives the guard his identification.) Let me go verify this. (Walks back into his station. In the car Krycek sits there waiting. Mulder and Scully are crouched down on the back seat floor hiding from the guard. Scully looks at Mulder with a fearful expression.)

MULDER: (Whispers to Krycek.) What's going on?

KRYCEK: (Watching the guard.) He's verifying my identification. (The guard walks back over to the car and hands Krycek his id back.)(Music stops)

GUARD: Your cleared to go to building twenty five.

KRYCEK: Thank you. (The guard opens the gate as Krycek slowly drives on though. At building twenty five, Krycek parks the car along side of the building. He looks back at Mulder and Scully who are still on the floor.) I'll be right back. I'm going to see if it's clear to sneak you in.

MULDER: Well hurry up. My foot is going to sleep. (Krycek gets out of the car and closes the door. Scully looks at Mulder.)

-64-

SCULLY: I still don't think this is a good idea. We're going to get ourselves killed.

MULDER: (Looks at her.) Did you really kiss agent Myles?

SCULLY: (Glares at him and looks away.) I don't want to talk about it. (Mulder giggles. Inside the building, Krycek is looking around the empty hanger. There's no one there. He walks out of the building back to the car, looking around. He opens the back door to his car.)

KRYCEK: Let's go. It's clear. (Mulder scoots up onto the back seat and gets out of the car. Scully follows him. Krycek closes the door to the car.) Follow me quickly. (Mulder and Scully follow him into the hangar. Inside all three walk in as Mulder and Scully look around.)

SCULLY: Where's the ship?

KRYCEK & MULDER: It's cloaked. (They look at each other.)

SCULLY: (Glaring at them both.) Oh brother.

KRYCEK: Do your stuff agent Mulder. (Mulder looks at the empty space in the hangar.)

MULDER: (Out loud.) Cloak off. (Music starts) (Suddenly the craft shows up out of thin air. The door comes open on the side of the craft without command, with steps coming out of it. Mulder looks at Scully. She just stands there in shock that the ship showed up out of nowhere.)

SCULLY: (Still looking at the ship.) Mulder. Pinch to see whether or not I'm dreaming. (Mulder pinches her.) Ouch! (Scully rubs her arm. She looks at him.) You didn't need to do it that hard. Krycek starts half way up the stairs to the craft.)

-65-

KRYCEK: We don't have time for these games you all. Let's go. (Attempts to walk the rest of the way up the steps, suddenly a white lightning bolt light hits, throwing him against the wall. Mulder and Scully look at what just happened in shock. Mulder and Scully rush over to Krycek, who is now laying on the floor.)

MULDER: (Kneels down beside him.) Are you all right?

KRYCEK: (Sits up, in pain.) Yeah. I'm- I'm fine.

SCULLY: (Looking down at him.) Apparently that ship don't like you.

KRYCEK: (Looks at Mulder.) Help me up. (Mulder helps him stand up. Krycek looks at Scully.) I think your right. (Looks at Mulder.) You want to try? It's your ship. (Mulder looks at him.) Now. (Mulder shrugs and starts up the steps of the ship. He gets to the top of the steps and walks on into the ship. Krycek and Scully watch intently. Mulder peeks back out and stands at the door way.)

MULDER: (Smiles.) I made it. (Looks at Scully.) Come on up, Scully.

SCULLY: (Scared.) Mulder, I don't know that it will allow me.

MULDER: Sure it will come on. (Reluctantly, Scully slowly approaches the ship. She starts up the steps as Krycek watches her. She makes it up to Mulder.) See. (Scully sighs and walks on into the ship looking around. Mulder looks down at Krycek.) You want to try it again, Alex?

KRYCEK: You better tell it to leave me alone. (Mulder walks to the cockpit and sits down at the pilot's seat. Scully follows him and stands there watching.)

SCULLY: Mulder, what are you doing? (Mulder starts typing on the keyboard, on the control panel, in the names on who's allowed on the ship. Scully notices what he's doing.) Mulder, there's a reason why this ship doesn't want him in here. It probably can read his mind. (Mulder looks back at her.)

-66-

MULDER: Are you the same Scully I know? Or did you get abducted last night and you're now a clone? (She glares at him. He starts to type in Kryceks name.)

SCULLY: (Sees what he's typing in. She gets closer to him and puts her hand over one of his to get him to stop typing.) Mulder. Please. I got a bad feeling about this. I don't think you should be entering his name.

MULDER: (Takes his hands off the keyboard and looks at her.) What am I supposed to do Scully? Tell him he can't come along when he's gotten us this far?

SCULLY: (Nods yes.) Yeah. (Mulder hits enter and on computer screen it reads 'command accepted'. Mulder stands up and touches Scullys arm while walking past her.)

MULDER: I can't do that, Scully. (Mulder walks to the doorway and looks down at Krycek.) Alex. (He looks up at Mulder.) Come on up. It's safe now. (At the cockpit, Scully sits down at the co-pilots seat. She looks at the computer monitor. She's sees what he typed in. The scene shows what she's reading. It reads as the following, 'Dana Scully, co-pilot,' Scully smiles in relief. 'A.D. Skinner, passenger. Alex Krycek, passenger. John Byers, Frohike, and Langly, assistant computer coordinators. Scully sits there with a relieved expression on her face. The computer screen then reverts to Mulders vital signs and brain waves. Scully sits up and gazes at the computer screen.)

SCULLY: (Talks to herself.) What is this? (The vital signs of his blood pressure and brain waves are almost critically low. Mulder and Krycek walk up to the cockpit. Mulder sits at the pilot's seat. Krycek sits on a seat behind them both.)

MULDER: (Mulder looks over at Scully. He takes her hand. Krycek notices.) You ready?

SCULLY: (Looks at him and smiles with a worried expression.) Yeah. (Mulder looks at the control panel.)

-67-

MULDER: (Releases her hand.) Take off in cloak mode. (The computer screen reads, 'acknowledged.' The engines to the craft kick on and the craft starts slowly moving. Outside the craft, the scene show the ship disappearing as it goes through the hangar door without causing damage to the door. Inside the ship, the ship starts going up. The computer screen reads, 'what is current destination?' Mulder looks back at Krycek.) Now that we got the ship. Where are we going now?

KRYCEK: (Looks at Mulder.) Iowa airforce base.

MULDER: (Looks at Scully and back at Krycek.) Okay? (Looks at the control panel.) Middletown Iowa. (The computer screens reads, 'acknowledged. Time of arrival one hour.' The scene shows through the front of the cockpit as they're flying over the landscape.)(Music stops)

45 MINUTES LATER

(Inside the ship, Scully is gazing out the window, still having a worried expression on her face. She looks over at Mulder then back at Krycek. Krycek is asleep. She looks back at Mulder.)

SCULLY: Mulder? (Mulder looks at her, stretching.) Can I ask you a question?

MULDER: Yeah, what?

SCULLY: Why does this ship have your vitals reading on the computer screen?

MULDER: (Looks at her confused.) What?

SCULLY: (Points at the screen.) Look. (Mulder looks at the screen. On the top left corner has his name and in the middle of the top of the screen reads vitals. Mulder looks at Scully.)

MULDER: I have no idea. Maybe because I'm its template it has to keep vitals on me.

SCULLY: Mulder if I'm reading this right, this ship is draining you of your very life.

-68-

MULDER: (Looks at her in unbelief.) Come on, Scully.

SCULLY: (Glares at him.) Mulder! I'm serious!

MULDER: (Looks at the computer.) How do you know that this computer system is accurate?

SCULLY: I don't. Excuse me for being concerned for your health.

MULDER: (Glares at her.) Well stop, you're not my mother. (Krycek wakes up from their arguing. He looks over at them.)

KRYCEK: What's going on up there? (Mulder and Scully both look out the front windows of the craft. Krycek gets on his knees and scoots over to them. He looks at them both.) What's going on? (Neither one of them answer.) Okay. (Looks at the computer. It reads five minutes to arrival in Iowa Airforce Base.) Well Fox. You better sober up your anger for now. (Mulder looks at him.)

MULDER: Why?

KRYCEK: This thing is on approach to the Air base. (Scully look at him.)

MULDER: (Looks at the computer screen and back at Krycek.) Are we meeting anyone there? What's the purpose of going there anyway?

KRYCEK: (Looks at Mulder, patting him on the shoulder.) Don't worry about it. I got it all planned out.

MULDER: Well would you mind telling me the plan?

KRYCEK: (Stands up.) You'll know it when we land. (Walks to the back of the ship. Mulder looks over at Scully, she immediately looks away from him.)

MULDER: Scully. (Looks at the floor.) I'm sorry. (Scully looks over at him. He looks at her.) Okay?

-69-

SCULLY: Me too. (Looks at the floor.) Mulder. I know I told this to you before but— (Looks back to find Krycek, she doesn't see him. She looks back at Mulder.) I got a bad feeling about this whole thing. He's being very close circuited to us. (Music starts)

MULDER: (Looking at the instrument panel.) You got that impression too? (He takes out the computer keyboard.) And another thing Scully, there's something very familiar to me about Iowa Airforce Base. It's like I've been there before or something.

SCULLY: (Watches what he's doing.) What are you doing?

MULDER: (Looking at the computer screen while typing.) Getting the information and traffic pattern on this Air base. (The computer system answers the request. It reads, 'Air base deserted. Has been deserted over twenty years.' Mulder gets a shocked expression on his face. The scene shows flashbacks when the smoking man and Krycek tied him up. Then suddenly his flashback explodes. Mulder snaps out of it shaking his head. Scully notices.)

SCULLY: Are you all right?

MULDER: (Looks at Scully in fear.) Where being set up.

SCULLY: What?

MULDER: You were right all along about him, Scully. I just remembered why it seems I've been at this air base.

SCULLY: (Looks at him in fear.) Why?

MULDER: The CSM and Krycek took me there to kill me. They tried blowing me up. (Scullys fearful expression turns to a terrified expression.)

SCULLY: What are we going to do Mulder?

-70-

MULDER: (Looks out the cockpit window. He notices the air base they're approaching. He recognizes the building.) I don't know and that is the place Scully. (Scully looks out the window and notices the base. Mulder looks at the control panel.) Change course immediately. (The computer screen reads, 'what is new destination?' Mulder looks at Scully. She shrugs to remark 'I don't know. Mulder looks at the computer screen.) Skyland Mountain, Virginia. The scene shows behind Mulder, Krycek has a gun pointed at him.)

KRYCEK: Oh no you don't! (Mulder looks up from the computer panel and over at Krycek. Scully looks at him and notices, glaring at him.) Your landing this craft right here. (Mulder sits there staring at him.) Come on. Tell it to land where I told you. (Mulder looks at Scully. She looks at him back. Krycek yells.) Do it! (Mulder looks at the control panel.)

MULDER: Land at current location. (The computer screen reads, 'Landing at deserted air base. Approach engaged.' Mulder glares at Krycek.) Why did I come up with the idea I could ever trust you?!

KRYCEK: You always been naïve that way agent Mulder. You were always a sucker for smooth talk.

MULDER: (Looks at the control panel.) Cloak off.

KRYCEK: (Glares at Mulder.) Oh no you don't! You put that cloak back on!

MULDER: Why? There's no one out here! (Krycek puts the gun up to Mulders head.)

KRYCEK: Quit asking questions and just do it! (Scully looks up at Krycek and picks up a metal box and hits him in the shin bone with it. Screaming out in pain he back hands Scully across the face, knocking her into the side wall of the craft. Mulder notices and stands up.)

MULDER: You jerk! (Goes to hit him and Krycek stops his arm and quickly bends Mulders arm back. Mulder gasps in pain.)

-72-

KRYCEK: (Points the gun at Scully.) We can do this the easy way or the hard way. (Mulder sees what he's doing.)You're choice agent Mulder.

MULDER: (In pain.) All right. (Krycek lets go of his arm and Mulder sits down and looks at control panel. The computer screen reads, 'landing complete. Mulder looks out the front window and sees the ware house that was burnt up a year ago. Mulder closes his eyes, with a thinking expression to his face. The scene shows the computer screen it reads, 'weapons armed.' Mulder looks at the screen and notices.)

KRYCEK: (Noticing they've landed. Points his gun at them both.) All right you two lets go. (Mulder and Scully both look up at him.) Come on. (Mulder and Scully stand up, Mulder lets her go first and he follows her do the door hatch. Krycek follows them. Outside the craft, it's still in cloaked mode. A black government car drives up to the scene with they're brights on and stops near where the approximate are of where the craft is. WMM and the bounty hunter get out of the car. Just as they do, the door to the ship comes open out of nowhere. Mulder and Scully walk out first with Krycek behind them with a gun pointed at them. Mulder notices the car below them but doesn't see anyone over the bright lights.)

MULDER: If it don't rain it pours. (Scully looks back at Mulder as they're walking down the steps. Once all three of them get off the craft steps, Mulder collapses to the ground. Scully notices.)

SCULLY: Mulder! (Kneels down beside him. Krycek notices and grabs Scullys arms making her stand up.)

KRYCEK: Get up! (Shoves her away from Mulder, pointing his gun at her. Krycek looks down at Mulder and starts kicking him on the side.) Get up you faker! (Continues to kick him.) Get up!

SCULLY: (Yells at Krycek.) Krycek stop it! (The bounty hunter rushes over to Krycek and grabs him.)

BOUNTY HUNTER: Enough! (Krycek glares at him as the bounty hunter pushes him away from Mulder. The bounty hunter looks at Scully and down at Mulder.) He's passed out.

-72-

SCULLY: (Stands there staring at the bounty hunter.) Why?

BOUNTY HUNTER: (Looks at her.) The ship put too much of a drain on his physical body. It takes a lot out of you to concentrate on controlling a thing like this. (Looks at the ship.) Cloak off. (The ship appears out of no where. Krycek notices.)

KRYCEK: Wait a minute! (The bounty hunter glares at him.) I thought Mulder was the only one that could control the ship.

BOUNTY HUNTER: He is. Second to me. They're my ships. (Walks toward the ship. Scully stands there with a confused expression on her face.)

SCULLY: Where's this leaving us?

BOUNTY HUNTER: (Walking up the steps of the ship.) With knowledge. (The door/steps to the ship close as the bounty hunter walks in and toward the cockpit. WMM walks over to Krycek with his gun pointed at him.)

WMM: Get into the car! (Krycek glares at him. Scully looks over at them. WMM looks at her.) I'd be careful with knowledge you have agent Scully. And I'd be careful of who you tell. (Walks Krycek to the car. Scully looks down at Mulder. He starts to slowly move. She kneels down beside him, watching WMM. Mulder slowly sits up, holding his temples in pain. He looks at her and over at the car she's looking at. Suddenly the ship behind them starts to lift off the ground. Mulder and Scully look up at it as goes up and suddenly disappears. They look at one another.)

SCULLY: (Puts her hand on his shoulder.) Are you okay? (He nods yes.) You sure?

MULDER: (Weak.) Wha—what happened?

SCULLY: Well, (Looks at the black car leaving the scene.) The well manicured man just took Krycek away and the bounty hunter just flew off in his quote unquote ship. (Looks at Mulder.) I guess your second in command to the bounty hunters ship, Mulder.

-73-

MULDER: Does that make the revolutionary? Or was my vengeance in vain?

SCULLY: I think Mulder that you have always been the revolutionary and just never realized it. (Mulder looks at the ground and smiles.) You have to be to work the X-files. (Mulder nods yes and looks back at her.)

MULDER: But now I don't have a job. I supposedly agreed on not doing the X-files any more. (Takes her hand.) To at least keep you as my partner.

SCULLY: (Smiles, looking at the ground. Looks at him.) Will make agent Myles confess. But will have to have a trial.

MULDER: If we can find him. (Scully nods yes.)(Music stops)

2 ½ WEEKS LATER

FBI HEADQUARTERS

(The scene shows Mulder in his office looking through paper work. Scully walks in and looks at him. Mulder notices and smiles.)

MULDER: Welcome back.

SCULLY: (Walks toward him.) Thank you. (Sits at the edge of his desk.)

MULDER: Oh. (Opens his top drawer.) I have a little something for you. (Takes a little box out and hands it to her.)

SCULLY: (Smiles and takes it.) Mulder, what's this for?

MULDER: Consider it a welcome back gift. (She starts to open it.) No. (Scully looks at him.) Don't open it yet.

SCULLY: Why?

MULDER: (Sits back in his chair.) I want you to open it when you get home. (Scully sit there staring at him.) Humor me?

SCULLY: Okay? (Skinner walks into the door way of Mulders office. Scully and Mulder look over at him.)

SKINNER: Hey.

MULDER: (Stands up and walks over to him.) What's up?

SKINNER: I wanted to apologize to you and agent Scully. (Scully stands up and walks over to him. He looks at them both.)

SCULLY: For what sir?

SKINNER: Any grievances I might have caused you two. You must understand I had to obey them. It was their word against mine.

MULDER: So it's cleared in the records that I'm still on in the X-files with agent Scully.

SKINNER: (Nods yes.) Yeah you are.

MULDER: Then I except your apology. (Skinner smiles and giggles.)

3170 WEST 53RD STREET

9:40 P.M.

(Music starts) (The scene shows Scully sitting on her sofa long ways leaned up against the arm rest. She picks up the box Mulder had given her. She looks at for a second and starts to open it. The scene shows what it is. It's a ring with her birthstone in it. She takes it out and puts it on her finger, smiling. She gets a tear in her eye while looking at it. Scully starts narrating.)

-75-

SCULLY: I have no answer as usual concerning what had happened two weeks ago with the ship agent Mulder can control. (The scene shows the starry sky.) The bounty hunter claims that all the ships that quote unquote exist out there belong to him. But for some reason allowed for a human to gain access in that control. Is this man alien in pursuit of controlling our world. And knowing agent Mulder is the revolutionary that can pull it off for him if only Mulder willingly agrees. Or does this man have control over Mulders will and is able to make him do what this man pleases to do. I know in the seven in half years working with agent Mulder in the X-files. There are a lot of unanswered questions. This just adds it to the list. But my concern is with agent Mulder. Does agent Mulder have enough self-control to come against the bounty hunter should it turn out that way. But I know I can trust agent Mulder in making the right decision. Unless he is under control 'now' of the government.


End file.
